A Spokane developer has received approval for a 35-lot residential subdivision on Five Mile Prairie, but says he likely won't start work on the project for a year or two due to the slow housing market.

The developer, Dennis Trainor, doing business as Sconiers Developments LLC, received preliminary plat approval for the 7.8-acre development from the city of Spokane on Oct. 16. The property is located at 1711 N. Strong Road, a main east-west thoroughfare on Five Mile Prairie.

Trainor says he doesn't plan to begin constructing infrastructure for the development until the housing market improves.

"The next phase of putting in utilities is big, cost-wise," he says.

Ultimately, Trainor plans to develop mid-priced single-family homes on the lots or to sell the lots for that purpose, he says. The approved lots range in size from about 6,800 square feet to about 7,200 square feet, says Trainor, who also owns Western States Construction, of Spokane.

In addition to Trainor's 35 lots, another two lots would be developed similarly on property owned by Tim and Kathy Riddle, who own an adjoining property, Trainor says. Also, Trainor says he's negotiating to buy another six-acre parcel that adjoins his property, and would develop that property for single-family homes as well, though he says he isn't sure how many additional lots could be added to the development on that property. Separate approval for the project would have to be sought from the city.

Trainor says that there are both entry-level homes and higher-end homes nearby, leaving a niche for a mid-priced development. He says he hasn't selected a contractor or architect for the development, and is considering whether to build the homes himself or to sell the lots. He says he doesn't know what the overall cost of the project would be yet.