By JOHN McCALLUM
Editor
Cheney's Planning Commission posted a 2-1 record on action items at its Dec. 10 meeting – two approvals and one denial.
In a unanimous vote, commissioners approved a rezone of 14 acres of land owned by Steve Emtman's Defender Developments near the wastewater treatment plant from critical areas limited residential to industrial, and change the zoning from semi-rural residential to light industrial, I-1.
Cheney planner Elisa Rodriquez told the commission a SEPA checklist done by the city recommended four mitigating measures for the property if rezoned: defining noise limits, verifying access to the site, creating buffers between the land and the Columbia Plateau Recreation Trail which abuts the property on the east, and verifying crossing regulations with the railroads regarding the crossing on Anderson Road.
Anderson provides an entrance not only to the Emtman property but also to the city's treatment plant, located just to the south of the parcel.
Rodriquez said the land was designated residential just prior to building the plant, but said she could find no documentation as to why.
Changing the designation from residential to industrial is more desirable and compatible with surrounding uses.
Emtman told the commission he originally wanted to convert all 28 acres of land owned at the site to industrial, citing the lack of Cheney zoning codes allowing uses like a KOA campground, or other recreational vehicle spots near the trail.
I-1 allows all uses except residential, including RV camping.
Emtman said he decided to scale back his request to 14 acres, citing a current need for more industrial land and businesses in Cheney, and will return in the future seeking a rezone of the remainder once RV campground details are established. He added that the parcel is entirely within the plant's odor zone.
“It is by the wastewater treatment plant, and probably the best use is industrial,” he said.
Cheney community development department director Tom Richardson said one of the conditions the commission could put on approval was to verify the parcel description with the Spokane County Assessor's Office.
The commission passed the rezoning 5-0. Commissioners David Rey and Ray Gawenit were not present at the meeting.
In a continuation of business from the November meeting, the commission unanimously approved an extension of the Fellowship Baptist Church's expired conditional use permit.
The church obtained the permit in 2004 with the intention of constructing a church building on the property located on the corner of First and Salnave streets.
The permit expired before the church realized it needed to renew it, and a request to do so at the commission's November meeting led to a request to provide more detail about available parking and paving intentions.
Church members gave that information to the commission on Dec. 10, and received a two-year extension of the permit, beginning in January 2008.
In the final item the commission unanimously denied a request from Eastern Washington University's Beta Theta Pi Fraternity to relax off-street parking requirements for the facility at 508 Third Street.
The fraternity has 20 off street spots now, but would be required to add three spots as part of its expansion plans to increase occupancy from 20 to 30 members.
Fraternity representative Richard Pheneger told the commission no more than 12 of the existing spots are currently used, and that adding more would cut into other parts of the property used by fraternity members, such as a sports court.
It was an argument the commission didn't buy.
“Parking (off street) in this town is an issue,” Commissioner Don Nichols said.
“Particularly in that zone,” Commissioner Mike Rossey added.
Finally, the Dec. 10 meeting was the last for Commissioner Doug Nixon, who resigns from the commission to take his seat on Cheney's City Council beginning in January.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected]
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