CHENEY -- The Clover Street Rezoning Project failed to gain approval in its third and final reading at the Sept. 30 City Council meeting.
The Clover Court/West Sixth Street area will remain an R-2 zone, capable of holding multifamily structures. In their decision, councilmembers cited a “lack of need” for a change.
The effort to rezone the location was led by a collection of concerned residents who want to preserve the single-family nature of their neighborhood by preventing the construction of duplexes.
“Right now, it’s a great place to raise children,” argued resident Doris Munson in a previous meeting. “We recognize that development is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be at the expense of existing families.
“The area in question is largely owner occupied and fits more closely with the R-1 Zone.”
“I oppose the rezone request application,” Benji Estrellado said, arguing against action. “When I moved here 14 years ago, into this house, I knew I was moving into an R-2 zone property and neighborhood. I knew that duplexes were going to be built and that it’s a university town. I was expecting that.
“There is a need for R-2 lots in Cheney, it’s becoming unaffordable for non-student people… We have to have a balance in Cheney.”
Pre-existing permits to build R-2 structures, passed by the Planning Commission, were cited as the deciding factor in the council’s decision.
“We have four duplexes that are going up west of Sixth Street. I don’t see the rationale of changing that to an R-1 with four duplexes right there,” Councilman Dan Hilton said.
Councilwoman Teresa Overhauser agreed and challenged the assumption that R-2 structures invite loud, disruptive college students.
“I’ve lived here approximately 40 years and I’ve never had problems with [duplexes],” she said. “I think to assume that a mix of housing is necessarily going to bring bad neighbors and bad situation is not predictable.”
Reporter Scott Davis can be reached at [email protected].
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