Small Town News

Commission OKs Crunks Hill removal

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Cheney School District will use bond money to build new sports fields near Golden Hills

The Cheney Planning Commission Monday approved a conditional use permit application that proposes to build six new fields for the Cheney School District.

Several residents from Cheney's Golden Hills neighborhood voiced concerns and asked questions during the public hearing about the district's proposal to build sports fields on a 20-acre parcel that's home to historic Crunk's Hill.

Questions ranged from the geology of the land and the layout of the fields to parking and the historic relevance of Crunk's Hill in Cheney's history. Ultimately, the commission approved the CUP unanimously, but not before adding a condition that the district install signage prohibiting parking for the fields at three dead-end streets that would abut the property.

The district proposed last year to construct a baseball field, two softball fields and three soccer fields on the parcel, located along North Sixth Street just south of the Mormon church at 2536 North Sixth. The fields would be used mainly as practice fields for teams from Cheney High School and the new middle school under construction behind the current Cheney Middle School.

While most of the residents who commented on the project expressed their support for more athletic fields for Cheney students, many of them had questions.

Ann Heehn said she was disappointed to see the loss of Crunk's Hill, which housed a historic fort and later one of the county's first schools in the late 1870s.

"As a commissioner on Historic Preservation and a Cheney native I am very upset that the district didn't have concern to save the hill," she said. "It's one more historic thing in Cheney to be lost."

Heehn also asked about a condition in the CUP application that required reporting if any artifacts were found during removal of the hill.

"Who will be policing that or will it be an honesty policy?" she asked.

City attorney Stanley Schwartz said state law required reporting, but there was no policing of the work site. CSD maintenance and operations director Jeff McClure added that the district worked with Eastern Washington University's archaeology department, which conducted a study of the hill to search for remains of the fort. Items were found, but they could not be proven to be from the fort.

A few residents breached the issue of water at the site, pointing out drainage and runoff issues that have plagued homeowners. Others asked whether there was rock below the surface of the ground that would need to be removed before building fields. Tom Golden, the architect for the project, said a geotechnical study had been done in accordance with requirements and no rock had been found. He said the removal of the hill would likely improve the runoff issues.

Kelly Magalsky said he was concerned that people would park in the Golden Hills neighborhood--along Golden Hills Drive and on streets and at the southern edge of the district's property--to get to the fields.

"What is your plan to control parking outside the parking lot?" he asked.

After a discussion, the commission agreed to add a condition to the CUP instructing the district to place signage on the streets that end at the edge of the proposed fields--Lilac Court, North Eighth Street and Sunrise Drive. A total of 16 conditions included an agreement that if the fields use went away in the future, the district would turn over right of way to the city to continue North Eighth Street to Simpson Parkway, which will be extended from North Sixth to Washington Street next year.

Jeff Lichorobiel expressed concerns about safety along Golden Hills Drive, which he said has seen increased traffic and speeding in recent years. He asked why there were no stop signs along the road. Public Works director Todd Able-man said there were regulations governing the placement of stop signs. Commission chair Randall Butler said Lichorobiel's concerns were appreciated, but could not be addressed by the Planning Commission.

"We hear you, but I think it's passed what we can deal with here, so we ask you to take your concerns to City Council," he said.

The commission ended the public hearing with a unanimous vote to approve the CUP. The application will be sent to City Council for final approval.

Becky Thomas can be reached at becky@cheneyfreepress.com.



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© 2011 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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