State sets aside $1.5 million for APZ project

The city of Airway Heights is slowly making progress acquiring two mobile home parks located on Lawson and Campbell Streets in the Fairchild Air Force Base Accident Potential Zone II (APZ), the area beyond the clear zone of a runway that is a risk for accidents.

In an April 14 news release, the Washington State House of Representatives passed a capital budget that includes around $94 million in various projects for Spokane County, including setting aside $1.5 million toward Airway Heights' APZ project. In the release, Sixth District Rep. Kevin Parker said he is pleased that the state is able to provide support for Fairchild Air Force Base.

"Perhaps the greatest 'thank you' we can give to all those who have served is doing our part in furthering and protecting the mission of Fairchild Air Force Base and positioning it for the future," Parker said in the release.

In 2012, the city began its efforts to reduce the residential density in the APZ to two units per acre and provide alternative housing choices for residents currently living in that area.

Part of the density in the APZ was reduced in 2014 after Spokane County purchased and removed the Solar World Apartment Complex.

City Manager Albert Tripp said $1.3 million would go toward purchasing of the mobile home parks and $200,000 would be reserved for buying parcels of land for alternative housing.

"We haven't heard anything officially, we are hoping we will hear something better for the end of the legislative session," Tripp said.

Although the $1.5 million is a good start, it is still about $1 million short of what the city needs to purchase the mobile home parks. However, staff is looking at other options to close the funding gap.

Back in February, the city submitted requests to the state for funding two projects for the legislative session, one being the APZ project. The other project is a proposal to connect the Airway Heights Corrections Center to the city's reclaimed water system. The city would pump reclaimed water from its water reclamation plant to the corrections center for irrigation purposes. Although pumping reclaimed water reduces the money the city receives from the correction center for utility rates, the connection frees up more potable water for future housing developments.

According to Tripp, the state set aside $709,000 for the DOC connection project. The city is proposing to allocate the money from the DOC project to the APZ project, if the state and the city are on board with it.

"The city's priority is the APZ project, but we are hopeful that there is sufficient funding to do both projects," Tripp said.

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].