POST FALLS — After three hours of public testimony and deliberations Tuesday, neighbors' opposition to the proposed NorthShore District Planned Unit Development failed to sway the Post Falls Planning and Zoning Commission, which unanimously approved it.

The Northshore District, designated under the newly-created Single-Family Residential (R-1) zoning, would divide a 10-acre property into 47 single-family dwellings east of Greensferry Road and south of Ponderosa Boulevard bordering the Spokane River. To Glen Lanker and Scott McArthur, members of the application's development team, the planned unit development is an example of "infill development" with housing styles to support Post Falls' growing population.

"Right now, there are very few choices in our area," Lanker said. "You can either buy a single-family home on a large lot, or you can live in an apartment complex. To integrate housing that allows for more choices in a single-family neighborhood is critical in terms of scale and density. This would be an important thing to allow homeownership opportunities for more people, especially as we grow."

One of the most prominent discussion points during the meeting was the management of stormwater runoff and drainage. McArthur said the interior streets would have separate stormwater areas located in tracks conveyed through walking trails and grading channels. Still, neighbors pointed out that rainwater runoff is already a significant issue and would likely worsen with additional construction.

"When the rain falls, it comes through basically as a river down outdrive," Kelly Velin, a representative of surrounding neighbors, said. "We haven't seen any soil sampling or anything that would suggest that if there was significant rainfall or snow that there wouldn't be any landslides that would come onto our home."

Another concern repeated in the public comments was the development density, which falls below the minimum required 6,500-square-foot lot size to an average of 5,000 square feet and reduces the 60-foot lot requirement to about 35 feet. This is allowed in exchange for 10% of the acreage being dedicated as open space, city planning manager Jon Manley said.

“What they are trying to do is shove something in that area that doesn’t fit. They are experiencing this all over the city, and officials are rubber stamping this just like everything else,” said Mike Pelissero, a representative of homeowners. “This is why the city is getting torn apart and destroyed, because of things like this.”

The project's proposed density is 4.7 units per acre, which falls below the city's threshold of five. For reference, a typical development sees about 3.8 units per acre, Manley said. Neighborhoods surrounding the proposed development range from 1.3 homes per acre to upward of 2.8 units per acre, neighbor Erica Michaels noted, making the NorthShore District incompatible with the community.

"The fact that they have to ask for all these exemptions tells me that maybe this is not appropriate for the area," she said. "As the population grows, we still want to respect the Post Falls community, respect our watershed, and respect the green space we have."

Commission Vice Chairman Ray Kimball pointed out that the commission's decision was based on the project's ability to meet criteria set by state and city code.

"Whether we like it or not is irrelevant. What we think of the shape of the houses or what kind of siding is on the house, those kinds of things are completely irrelevant," Kimball said. "The main focus of a lot of the public hearing or testimony is gathering evidence and understanding things that relate to those criteria."

Many residents' concerns like stormwater runoff, culvert efficacy, and potential drainage problems onto adjacent properties align with those criteria, Kimball said. Still, the vice chairman noted that it is the commission's job to take those issues and provide conditions the developer can meet to overcome them.

"We have to give (the applicant) a path toward approval. That is a requirement by code," Kimball said.

Applying his engineering background, Kimball developed five conditions in addition to those set by Post Falls staff for approving the PUD application.

Condition 17: Stormwater from the development and lots is directed away from adjacent properties.

Condition 18: A Notice of Intent is submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before construction commences.

Condition 19: Upstream drainage from the existing 24-inch culvert is maintained such that the current capacity is not infringed.

Condition 20: Retaining walls are designed such that adjacent properties are not physically impacted — following up on an offer made by McArthur to aid drainage issues on surrounding properties.

Condition 21: A Geotech report is submitted with the construction plans.

With these provisions, the commissioners unanimously approved the project to go forward to the Post Falls City Council for consideration.