Housing without sacrificing natural areas

CHRIS COPPIN. CHRIS COPPIN GOING TWICE. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL JUMP TO KIRSTEN ANGEL I WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER DOLAN FOR YOUR WORK ON THARPE. SPOKEN VALUES NATURE 93% OF SPOKANE RESIDENTS DESIRE TO PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITATS AND CONSERVE NATURAL AREAS ACCORDING TO COMMUNITY SURVEYS FROM THE SPOKANE PARKS AND REC MASTER PLANNING PROCESS. THIS 2046 FRAMEWORK AND THE FLUME ARE NOT ADEQUATELY REPRESENTING THE VALUE THAT SPOKANE RESIDENTS PLACE ON THE NATURAL WORLD. THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS FALLEN SHORT ON THEIR OBLIGATION TO BALANCE DEVELOPMENT WITH PROTECTIONS OF OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. WE CAN AND MUST PROVIDE FOR OUR LOW INCOME HOUSING NEEDS WITHOUT WHOLESALE SACRIFICING OUR URBAN TREE CANOPY OR OUR NATURAL AREAS AND CORRIDORS. I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION THAT ONE OF THE PLAN COMMISSIONERS ASKED AT A RECENT PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING. HOW WILL THE CITY ENSURE THAT WILDLIFE HABITAT TREE COVER TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ARE ADEQUATELY PROTECTED? IN INSTANCES WHERE WE WOULD NO LONGER BE GOING THROUGH THE KEEPER PROCESS? THE PLANNING DIRECTOR QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY AVOIDED ANSWERING THAT MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION. HAVE ANY OF YOU ASKED THE PLANNING DIRECTOR THIS QUESTION? YOU SHOULD. YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE ASKING YOU THIS QUESTION. SPOKANE WANTS TO KNOW AND WE DESERVE A GOOD ANSWER. I'D LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT WE HAVE LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT STATES THE NEED TO IDENTIFY, DESIGNATE AND DESIGN FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL AREAS AND CORRIDORS. THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CHAPTER IS FULL OF LANGUAGE DESIGN A NETWORK OF NATURAL AREAS AND CONNECTING CORRIDORS DISTINCT FROM DEVELOPED PARKS THROUGHOUT SPOKANE THAT SUPPORT NATIVE HABITATS AND NATURAL LANDFORMS. NINE POINT ONE IDENTIFY NATURAL AREAS THROUGHOUT THE CITY 9.2 IDENTIFY AND ENHANCE CORRIDORS. 9.3 ACQUIRE AND PROTECT NATURAL AREAS AND CONNECTING CORRIDORS IN A GROWTH STRATEGY. CHAPTER POLICY 8.1 ADVANCE SITING IDENTIFY IN ADVANCE OF DEVELOPMENT SITES FOR PARKS, OPEN SPACE, WILDLIFE HABITAT AND CORRIDORS. URBAN DESIGN 3.10 ENSURE DEVELOPMENT IS DESIGNED IN A MANNER THAT PROTECTS SIGNIFICANT NATURAL AND CULTURAL FEATURES, CRITICAL AREAS AND IDENTIFIED WILDLIFE HABITAT AND HABITAT CORRIDORS. AND THANK YOU. YOUR TIME IS UP