Rezoning proposed for North Eighth and Cedar lot

The same real estate acquisition and development company behind the purchase and renovation of Cheney's Fisher Building is proposing a rezoning of 3.59-acres of property on North Eighth Street in order to build a student apartment complex.

Eastmark Capital Group of Seattle has submitted preliminary application materials to the city of Cheney for construction of the 115-unit Parkside Commons, which would replace 16 former military single-family housing units on North Eighth Street between Cedar and Oak streets. Information on the project is available at Cheney's Planning Department, which is accepting public comments on the application through Feb. 23.

The property, located on two parcels across North Eighth from Hagelin Park and the city's swimming pool, is currently zoned R-3, multifamily residential medium density. Eastmark is proposing to change that designation to R-3H, high density. A public hearing on the rezone request is scheduled for March 13 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Cheney senior planner Brett Lucas said the biggest change, if the zoning request is granted, would be the number of units per acre. Under R-3, developers are allowed 15–21 units per acre, whereas under R-3H, they can have 28–32 units per acre.

Lucas also said the proposed R-3H zoning allows a taller structure, up to 45 feet. Eastmark's application proposes a 2–3 story complex, but at an average of 10–12 feet per story, has options.

"You could be creative, you could do a four-story building," Lucas said.

The application calls for a two-building complex on the parcel bordered by North Eighth and Cedar streets, while the other parcel to the north along North Eighth and Oak streets would be the location of a 230–250 stall parking lot. The site currently has 40 trees along with the single-family housing, and the application states roughly the same number would be at the new development.

The application also indicated the project could take place in two phases spread out over a 12–24 month timeframe.

According to a traffic study accompanying the application, the complex would generate 325 vehicle trips daily, 170 more than what the 16 single-family homes currently on the property would generate if they were in use. With a projected occupancy between 230–400 students, Parkside Commons could also generate an estimated 700–1,200 walking trips daily to nearby Eastern Washington University.

The traffic analysis, which based its projections on a trip generation study performed in 2012 on six student apartment buildings near the University of Minnesota, indicated most vehicle traffic to and from the complex would travel through six intersections: Cedar/Washington streets, Elm/Washington streets, Cedar/North Sixth streets, Elm/North Sixth streets, Elm/Erie streets and Elm/North Eighth streets.

The study estimated 30 percent of Parkside Commons traffic would travel to the Safeway Plaza via Washington or North Sixth streets as well as Simpson Parkway. Another 30 percent would use Oakland, North Sixth, Elm and First streets to travel to the Yokes/Jarms commercial area with another 30 percent utilizing Washington, Elm and First streets to travel to downtown Cheney. About 10 percent would travel from parking lots south of the university campus.

Comments on the project can be directed to Lucas at [email protected] or at 498-9240.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].