March 28, 2024
The Liberty Lake Splash
PO Box 363
Liberty Lake, WA 99019
Phone: 509-242-7752
News Blog Business Community Opinion Sports

More News

March Marvel-Calvary a catalyst for historic Gonzaga run

In Gear for Good
Kramer puts integrity first at Christian Brothers

City commissions offer chance to serve, enhance community
When Danetta “Dg” Garcia’s bid for a Liberty Lake City Council seat fell short, she didn’t give up on the idea of serving the city she calls home.

TT's Brewery and Barbecue Expands to Neighborhood Liberty Lake Location
In the smoky realm of barbecue, TT's BBQ has carved a niche for itself as a beacon of mouth watering flavors and culinary expertise for both their beer and food.

Daughters of The American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a volunteer women’s organization that has been dedicated to historical preservation, education, and patriotism for over a century. Across the United States, there are over 3,000 chapters supporting an estimated current membership of 200,000, with over one million total members since their founding in 1890.

HOA’s have different rules what it means for Police and streets
The city of Liberty Lake is known for its winding paths, street trees and homeowner’s associations. Recently, however, residents of some neighborhoods have been questioning the services they receive from the city, particularly police patrols and traffic enforcement.

Vietnam Veteran Pat Payne Receives his Combat Infantry Badge
Spokane Valley resident and Vietnam Veteran Pat Payne personifies bravery, resilience, and a profound commitment to supporting his fellow service members. Having served in the Vietnam War, Pat received both the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals for his exceptional contributions and sacrifices. Unfortunately, at the time of his service discharge, a key ‘box’ was left unchecked, and he did not receive his Combat Infantry Badge or CIB until fifty-six years after leaving Vietnam.

Return Ticket Home; Fisher helped establish LL city roots
In the acclaimed 1940 novel, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” author Thomas Wolfe paints the picture of ambitious writer George Webber who leaves his rural hometown roots to seek fame and fortune in New York City.

At Home on Air – Media fixture Owsley relishes local roots
Sean Owsley’s first big break in the media world came when he was living in a modest apartment on Skipworth Road in Spokane Valley.

Spokane Valley Library employee is recognized by the Library of Congress
Spokane Valley Library was recently honored to receive a Certificate of Appreciation from the Library of Congress for its involvement in the Veterans History Project. The Library of Congress recognized the library's continuous dedication to preserving the stories and experiences of our nation's veterans. As part of this recognition, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Jeremy Mullin, a local resident actively involved in the project.

Council social media training degenerates into confrontation
Spokane Valley City Council training on policy regarding social media accounts and use of the city’s logo turned from benignly informative to heatedly combative after an exchange between two council members at the Jan. 9 meeting.

Central Valley School District Prop. 1

Eat, Shop, and Be Merry

Water Works

2023 Candidate Guide

Sporting in Liberty Lake

Closing the Chasm

Congratulations First Ridgeline High School Graduating Class of 2023

2023 Liberty Lake Kiwanis Yard Sales are Coming!
Click here to register today! Only $15 to get into the printed and online guide!

Public Safety Raised to New Level

Parks and Art Commission

Looking Ahead to 2023

Eat, Shop and Be Merry

New city administrator

Liberty Lake Kiwanis Yard Sale Interactive Map!

Liberty Lake Kiwanis Yard Sale Guide - Now Available!!

Conrats 2022 Senior Graduates

Pavillion Park

You Are Invited

Destination Liberty Lake

Liberty Lake's Lego Home

Making and Impact 2022

Search the News Archive Search the News Archive

Council briefed on response to I-90 chemical spill
9/17/2014 12:19:45 PM

By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor

Representatives of the Spokane Valley Fire Department are regular attendees at meetings of the Liberty Lake City Council. On Tuesday, the agency report was a bit more extensive than usual as Deputy Chief Andy Hail shed light on an event that shut down the area's main transportation corridor for 19 hours. 

Council was provided with an overview of an incident that began just before 1 p.m. on Sunday when a westbound motorist on Interstate 90 called 911 to report a strong, fishy odor emerging from a tanker truck. The Washington State Patrol was notified and pulled the truck over to the weigh station just west of the Idaho state line. 

Hail described how hazmat crews from the city of Spokane were called in to address the situation, identifying a leak of a chemical known as anhydrous trimethylamine. Meanwhile, WSP closed traffic on I-90 in both directions, diverting vehicles through Liberty Lake on Appleway. Liberty Lake Police Chief Brian Asmus characterized the massive detour as "quite an undertaking."

Hail said the decision to close the freeway was based on creating a buffer zone of at least 350 feet from the area of the spill. The chemical poses both a respiratory and cardiac threat.

"We made the right call to shut down the freeway," Hail said. "We'd like to thank the public for their patience. It's not easy to be stuck in traffic like that."   

A pair of LLPD officers required treatment on the scene after being exposed to the chemical while channeling traffic, Hail said. Both are reported to be doing fine.

By early Monday morning, Hail said there was discussion of evacuating businesses and residences between Molter and the state line as hazmat crews continued their efforts to clean up a spill of approximately five gallons. Ultimately, a decision was made to set up "shelters in place," with officials standing watch at various sites.

Administration at Liberty Lake Elementary School opted to keep students inside throughout the day on Monday as a precaution. Officials with the East Valley School District let parents know that buses would be delayed on Monday due to traffic disruption. 

Interstate 90 was reopened at 8:25 a.m. on Monday. Hail said SVFD and other responders would be reviewing the response to the incident later this month. 

"We need to review this very critically," he said. "We're going to be better as a result of this." 

Hail commended the driver who made the initial emergency call after sensing something was not quite right.

"Fortunately, we had a citizen who smelled something, called and this truck got pulled over and maybe it saved some lives," he said. 

Council denies Holt Group zone change proposal

City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to deny a request by the Holt Group, a Vancouver-based developer, for a zone change on a parcel at the corner of Henry Road and Sprague Avenue. The proposal would have transitioned the property from R-1 single-family residential to M-2 community center, mixed use.

The Holt Group was represented at the meeting by Rian Tuttle. Frank Ide of Spokane-based Taylor Engineering also spoke in support of the zone change that would have allowed for land uses such as apartment complexes and office buildings.

"This is the city's western gateway," Ide told council. "Now is the time, with a new property owner and an expired plat, to explore this zone change."

Ide described how the proposed freeway interchange at Henry Road would mean increased traffic in the area, positioning a mixed use development along a major transportation corridor. He referred to the decision of the Spokane County hearing examiner in support of the proposal. The Liberty Lake planning and community development department had also emerged with an affirmative opinion after reviewing the Holt Group's appeal.

Yet the failure of the developer to establish a strategy for the land raised red flags for some, including the Liberty Lake Planning Commission, which voted unanimously to reject the zone change. While a site or development plan is not required by the city, the nebulous approach to the property left residents like Robin Ray concerned.

"Our main concern is we'd really like to know what the plan is to go in there," Ray told council on Tuesday. "There are too many possibilities of what could be in an M-2 zone." 

Tuttle emphasized that the Holt Group's intention was "not to build homes, but to deliver finished lots to builders in this community." Ide added that the southern portion of Legacy Ridge, which extends up a significant slope, has never allowed for the density of development (four units per acre) allowed in the city's comprehensive plan. 

Ray Ripley, who lives on North Henry, wondered why an area that has historically supported single-family residential development would be transitioned to an approach out of character for the neighboring land. 

"It's really disturbing to see that no one seems to care what happens to our property values," Ripley said.

Mayor Pro Tem Cris Kaminskas said she couldn't support a proposal that represented a detour from the city's development road map.  

"I understand all the points that have been made, but what seems to be missing is the vision for our city," she said. "I don't see how this change could fit into what we see for that area."

In other city news:

• Council authorized Mayor Steve Peterson to finalize an agreement with Waste Management of Washington Inc. for solid waste collection. The company will donate $3,000 each year to a nonprofit organization recommended by the city.

• Chief Asmus provided an update on the discussion surrounding the city's ban on the production, processing and sale of marijuana related to Initiative 502. Asmus noted that a Pierce County Superior Court judge had ruled in favor of the city of Fife's ban on I-502 activity on Aug. 29. He added that a representative with Municipal Research said Liberty Lake would be within its authority to expand the buffer zones where I-502 operations are disallowed. The city extended its I-502 moratorium on July 15 for another six months.

• Council unanimously approved the River Crossing North preliminary plat in a closed record public hearing. The development runs parallel to the Spokane River and the Centennial Trail and includes 225 lots on a parcel spanning just under 53 acres.

• Jorgen Rasmussen, a farmer and engineer from Otis Orchards, gave a presentation on the benefits of electric vehicles, encouraging the city to look into installing a super charger for the environmentally friendly cars. Rasmussen is coordinating an informational event this Saturday outside the CorkHouse on Meadowwood Lane, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., that will feature close to 20 electric vehicles.

• City Administrator Katy Allen gave an update on Town Square Park, noting that foliage was going into the area and sod would be installed soon. A ceremony to open the greenspace is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 4, with a time to be announced.

• Council unanimously approved the finalization of the Lakemore Addition plat in the eastern section of the city. The development has been under scrutiny for its proposal to incorporate 700 closed loop ground source heat pumps, although city staff emphasized on Tuesday that the approved plat includes traditional heating and cooling systems, not the alternative mechanisms. While the city has issued its own mitigated determination of non-significance on the ground source heat pumps, the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District assumed lead agency status on Sept. 8 and will be generating an environmental impact study. 

• The next City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at City Hall. 

Advertisement

Copyright © 2024 The Liberty Lake Splash | Print Page