Salnave Glen work to begin 1-2 weeks

Cheney residents in the Salnave area should soon begin seeing some site preparation work on the city’s newest apartment complex.

Salnave Glen Apartment was approved in September 2015 on condition that the developer acquires a forest practices application from the state Department of Natural Resources. The need for the application is that the site of the $7 million, 72-unit complex on West First Street just east of Salnave Park is covered with a sizeable stand of trees.

In an Aug. 20 Cheney Free Press story, Bob Anderson, DNR Northeast Region office manager, said in applications where ground is converted from timber to a use that’s incompatible with timber harvesting — trees once removed will not be replaced in substantial number — the department requests a forest practices application be filled out.

“We just look at harvesting as being an intermediate step,” Anderson said.

The developer and property owner, Salnave Glen LLC, received approval of the application in late September, but held off on beginning construction for several reasons, project superintendent Mike McCloskey of McCloskey Construction said. One of those was the onset of winter, which isn’t a time conducive to a lot of construction work.

McCloskey said they received a soils report that carried mixed reviews as to the current conditions at the site, and wanted to wait as the weather begins to improve.

The other reason is timing. McCloskey said it takes about a year from start to finish for this type of construction. That will lead to a schedule where Building A is completed in March 2017, with Building B following in April and Building C in May.

In the August Cheney Free Press story, Salnave Glen LLC’s Jeff Johnson said he and his partner Jeff McCloskey, will be constructing something similar to their 48-unit Wandermere Glen Apartments in north Spokane only with somewhat larger units than typical, along with larger garages, carports and stairwells, which will have natural light.

The partners are not necessarily looking at attracting student renters.

The complex will feature 18 studios and 18 one-bedroom units, with the rest being two-bedroom units of differing sizes. Prices should range from $625 per month for studios to about $1,100 per month for some two-bedrooms, although this could change subject to market conditions.

“We just want to create a nice living environment next to the (Salnave) park,” Johnson said.

Mike McCloskey said Tuesday, Feb. 23, that they would begin construction in about 4 – 6 weeks once the site is cleared of the tree stand. The trees are too small to produce any useable lumber, and will instead by ground up by a subcontractor. McCloskey added they hope to begin as early as next week.

“If we don’t take them down next week, it will be the week after,” he said. “Either way, it’s coming soon.”

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].