Small Town News

Airway Heights council OKs new multi-family development

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Airway Heights could soon see another apartment housing project commence after the City Council gave the nod to a large development known as Kim's Court on Monday, during their regular council meeting.

After a public hearing on the matter, council approved a development agreement with the Spokane investment firm Garfield Group LLC for a 224 multi-family unit project to be built on 12 acres of land in the northern part of the city near Garfield Road and Sixth Avenue.

City attorney Stanley Schwartz said the contract gives developers the option of building in phases or all at one time. Developers are required to notify the city by May 1 if they plan to file all building permits at once by December 1, 2010, or they can opt to obtain building permits for at least 100 multi-family units by June 1. The contract will expire if neither is done by Dec. 31 of this year, Schwartz said. The agreement also requires Garfield Group LLC to pay for improvements to Sixth Avenue as well as pay park impact fees, to be assessed at the time of permit to the city.

A second public hearing was held on alterations to the city's nuisance code before council approved changes, which included clarified definitions of junk vehicles and recreational vehicles as well as a general overhaul of the code's language, according to Police Chief Lee Bennett.

A task order with Century West Engineering was also approved for a water system storage tower to be paid for with part of a 5 percent water rate increase approved by Council in December 2009.

Council then appointed longstanding Airway Heights resident Rosemary Combs to the city Planning Commission for a term expiring Jan. 31 2012 and said goodbye to Public Works director Brian St. Clair, who is leaving at the end of the month for a job with Modern Electric in Spokane. St. Clair said he plans to train interim public works director Jeff Cochran until a replacement can be found and will be on hand to consult the city on the fi-nalization of the wastewater treatment plant.

In other city news, Mayor Patrick Rushing told council members that a meeting last week with commissioner Bonnie Mager and other county officials revealed that more work must be done before an agreement can move ahead on the city's proposed purchase of 70 acres for a regional sports complex. "There are some issues that will need to go back through committee to be discussed," he said.

Work began Monday on the Highway 2 pedestrian safety crossings, which will install flashing beacon lights and reconfigure pedestrian refuge islands at three, existing mid-block crossings between Russell and Zeigler Streets. Federal funds will pay for the $230,000 worth of improvements, which also include installation of two solar powered radar speed indicator signs and improved pavement striping. St. Clair said crews expect to have the project wrapped up by May 5. Ryan Lancaster can be reached at ryan@cheneyfreepress.com.



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© 2010 Cheney Free Press Cheney, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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