A new $49 million, 111-unit townhome development is under consideration in the Grandview/Thorpe neighborhood in southwest Spokane, predevelopment planning documents on file with the city of Spokane show.

The project, dubbed Sterling Heights Townhomes, will include 111 single-family units across 27 buildings. The development is proposed near the intersection of South H Street and West 27th Avenue on mostly vacant land, says Melissa Owen, a senior planner at the city of Spokane's Planning & Development Services department, in an email to the Journal.

The proposed development site is located less than a mile south of the John A. Finch Arboretum and about 3 miles east of Spokane International Airport, encompassing nearly 14 acres, according to a site plan for the project.

Individual units are considered attached homes under the city's land use code, meaning each of the 27 townhome-style buildings would be comprised of individual homes on their own lots, Owen confirms.

Of the 27 buildings planned, 25 buildings will have four attached homes, one building will consist of five homes, and one building will include six homes, the site plan shows.

David Allen Davis-Lehnertz owns the land. Preston Ramsey, of Liberty Lake-based Special Assets Management LLC, submitted the predevelopment conference application for the project. 

Davis-Lehnertz declines to comment on the project, and Ramsey didn’t respond to the Journal’s request for comment.

Most of the land is vacant and unimproved, according to Spokane County Assessor's Office records and any existing buildings would be demolished during construction, Owens says. 

An existing four-bedroom home at 3420 W. 26th is the largest building within proposed development boundaries, county records show. The 1,800-square-foot residence sits on more than a quarter-acre of land. A 600-square-foot detached garage located on a half-acre at 2524 S. Scenic Boulevard would also be demolished as part of any development.

The parcels are zoned for single-family residential use, and no zoning changes will be required if the project proceeds, Owen says.

A predevelopment meeting with the city’s Planning & Development Services department and the applicant was held at the end of March. Predevelopment conferences are nonbinding and intended to provide an overview of regulatory requirements, the application process, and procedural submission requirements, Owen explains. The provided plans are concepts that may or may not resemble the final application, she adds.

In addition to new housing, the proposal includes road and infrastructure improvements, according to a site plan for the project. South Scenic Boulevard, to the north, would be extended 700 feet south culminating in a new cul-de-sac connected to private alleys serving the townhomes. Concrete sidewalks also are proposed along the improved roads.

No permit applications have been submitted to the city, Owens says. While the proposed plans are in the preliminary stage, permitting or construction timelines are unknown. A State Environmental Policy Act checklist hasn’t been submitted yet and will only be required if the project meets the threshold for environmental impact at the time of application.