Water, traffic and development

Cheney’s Planning Commission unanimously approved a modification to an existing preliminary plat application for construction of phases 5 and 6 in the Golden Hills subdivision at its Oct. 9 meeting — but not before several familiar subjects raised their heads again.

One change proposed by phase 5 owner Jamm Development, LLC of Spokane and phase 6 owner JD Cheney, LLC decreases the number of lots from 68 to 66, thereby offering larger lots for residential construction. Current codes limit maximum R-1 lot size to 9,000 square feet, whereas in the proposed Golden Hills subdivision the maximum lot size would be 41,000 square feet.

Duplex (R-2) lots would top out at 8,900 square feet, vs. the allowed maximum of 7,000 square feet.

The other change would increase the number of R-2 lots from 21 to 23. The changes taken together would allow the owners to offer traditional single-family lots, larger lots and townhouse-style duplexes.

“There is a market in Cheney for all three of those kinds of products,” Jamm Development principal Mark Murphy told the commission.

The developers also changed the number of access points to the subdivision, originally platted in 2004, off Mike McKeehan Way on the northern boundary from three to two. Phase 5 development would occur on property to the south of Mike McKeehan to about the midpoint of the plat, with Phase 6 running south from there to the rear lot lines of homes along the north side of Golden Hills Drive.

Public comment on the changes centered on topics that sprang up during the city’s recent comprehensive plan review process and at a zoning hearing for a proposed student-housing project at Cedar and North Eighth streets — water supply and traffic. Commissioner Daniel Hillman echoed some of the public’s traffic concerns, noting the development — which a study estimated would produce 665 weekday trips and 70 peak hour trips — could impact already congested traffic flow at Mike McKeehan Way intersections with Washington Street to the west and North Sixth Street to the east.

“There are no lights, just signs,” Hillman said. “Can the system absorb the added traffic?”

Public Works Director Todd Ableman said a recent city traffic study had indicated there were only two intersections in danger of decreased levels of service within the next few years and therefore requiring changes — North Sixth Street and Betz Road and Simpson Parkway and First Street.

But it was water that garnered most of the verbiage. The city has been forced to prohibit irrigation during stretches of two of the past three summers due to the loss of pumps that led to decreased water in its reservoirs, and has also undertaken odd/even watering schedules when no emergency exists.

Normally needing just two wells to supply water for 8-9 months of the year, Cheney has begun bringing on four of its eight total wells earlier in spring and leaves them online longer in the fall due to an irrigation season that is getting longer and hotter. Turbidity in one other well limits it to irrigation of three south side parks only, while another well — No. 3 — has lost production completely.

Commissioner Dan Turbeville noted he listened to officials assure residents in the 1990s the city had plenty of water with which to handle the complete build out of the subdivision. Over 20 years later, Cheney is facing water issues with no long term plan.

“This problem has been a long time developing and nobody seems to want to address it,” Turbeville added.

Ableman said there are plans to redrill Well 3 to see if production can be restored, at a price tag of $1.8 million, something the city would pay for with a 20-year loan. When pressed by Commissioner Rick Mount when that would begin, City Administrator Mark Schuller said it would be recommended to the City Council for inclusion in the 2018 budget at upcoming talks.

“We’re going to make our pitch that we address our water as soon as possible,” he added.

The commission’s recommendation now heads to the City Council for finally approval, ostensibly at its Oct. 24 meeting.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.