176 Wn. App. 280, PROSSER HILL COAL. V. SPOKANE COUNTY
[No. 30241-5-III. Division Three. August 22, 2013.]
PROSSER HILL COALITION ET AL., Respondents, v. SPOKANE COUNTY ET AL., Appellants.Affirmed.
BROWN, J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous court.Steven J. Tucker, Prosecuting Attorney, and David W. Hubert, Deputy, and Stacy A. Bjordahl (of Parsons/Burnett/Bjordahl/Hume LLP), for appellants.
Michael D Whipple (of Whipple Law Group PLLC) and Richard K. Eichstaedt (of Center for Justice), for respondents.AUTHOR: Stephen M. Brown, J. WE CONCUR: Laurel H. Siddoway, A.C.J., Teresa C. Kulik, J.Stephen M. Brown
1 BROWN, J. -- After a public hearing before a county examiner, Spokane County (County) approved a conditional use permit (CUP) for a private airstrip requested by Silverbird LLC, Dennis P. Reed, Dennis E. Reed, and Dawna Reed (collectively Silverbird). But based on insufficient public notice under the Spokane County Code (SCC), the superior court, reviewing under chapter 36.70C RCW, the Land Use Petition Act (LUPA), remanded for a new hearing. Petitioners are a coalition of neighbors: Prosser Hill Coalition, Lisa Watts-McKee, Daniel Spisak, Jacquelyn Olson, Jack Wilcox, Tom Whitfield, Janice Whitefield, Robert Heinemann, Melanie Zimmerman, Roy Wilson, Steve Baird, Randy Sunderland, Rick Olson, and Cindy Phillips (collectively Coalition). The County and Silverbird jointly appeal, contending the superior court's remand decision was error. We disagree and additionally reject Silverbird's other contentions that we dismiss because the Coalition failed to properly name the property owners as parties and failed to issue a summons with their land use petition. We reject the Coalition's cross appeal that the superior court erred in denying its cost bill request. Accordingly, we affirm.FACTS
2 On November 24, 2009, Silverbird submitted a CUP application to the County to construct a private airstrip with a 2,500-foot-long by 250-foot-wide runway area. The airstrip would extend across the southern portion of two parcels owned by Dennis E. and Dawna Reed. Silverbird proposed the development of a series of high-end houses and the permanent occupancy of the site by 15 aircraft. The site and the neighboring lands are designated "Rural Traditional" in the County's comprehensive plan.3 On October 12, 2010, Silverbird mailed hearing notices to property owners within 400 feet of the site. Silverbird was required to post a notice of hearing sign "on the site along the most heavily traveled street lying adjacent to the site." SCC 13.700.106(2)(b). The site, however, does not abut a street. The two nearest public roads are Cheney-Spokane and Jensen. The site is closest to Cheney-Spokane, which is paved and a major thoroughfare. Silverbird, however, posted its notice sign on Jensen Road, which is a dirt road that leads to Dennis E. and Dawna Reed's property. Additionally, the hearing notices erroneously state the site is located "north and west of Jensen Road." Board Record (BR) at 205-06. The site is actually north and west of Cheney-Spokane Road. The hearing examiner denied the neighbors' request for a continuance to correct the notice deficiencies and ruled the notice requirements were met. «1»