Also gets water system plan update at July 25 meeting
The Cheney City Council unanimously approved final adoption of an ordinance at its July 25 meeting changing the zoning of a 3.6-acre parcel of land bordered by North Eighth, Cedar, Erie and Oak streets — clearing the way for development of a proposed student-housing complex on the property.
The ordinance changes the property zoning from R-3 multifamily to R-3H, high-density multifamily, allowing more units per acre. By approving the ordinance, the council also adopted as part of it the terms and conditions of a agreement between the city and the project developers, Parkside Commons LLC.
Those terms include six special conditions: limiting to 96 the number of units in the complex, setting a minimum of 2.4 parking spaces per apartment unit, construction of sidewalks along both sides of Cedar between Erie and North Ninth streets and installation of a solar-powered, flashing pedestrian crossing facility at North Eighth and Oak streets. The developer also agrees to use low moisture landscaping and energy efficient low profile lighting fixtures on the site, as well as provide planting strip between proposed sidewalks and the curb of typically six feet in width.
As a condition of the ordinance, the city agrees to investigate and place traffic calming measures along North Eighth Street between Cedar and Oak that reduce conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles as well as control on-street parking. The ordinance reduces a city water main right of way on the property from 60 feet to 15 feet in exchange for the developer’s deeding to the city a portion of the North Eighth Street right of way held by the property’s previous owner, the U.S. government.
Also at the July 25 meeting was an update on the city’s water system plan by Public Works Director Todd Ableman. Ableman provided an overview of the process so far, including results of a public meeting on the plan held May 2.
Five goals identified of the plan include reducing system-wide usage by 2 percent by 2023 and 5 percent by 2028 over 2016 levels, maintaining annual city park water consumption at or below 20 million gallons and reducing single-family residential outdoor water consumption by 20 gallons per day by 2028. Measures to meet these goals include use of low-flow devices, possible installing of a “inclining block rate structure,” public education on conservation measures and use of low-moisture landscaping.
The city has been utilizing conservation of its own through leak detection and repair and irrigation schedules for large water users. Cheney is also exploring options for construction of a reclaimed water system.
Councilman John Taves asked Ableman what potential existed for more indoor water conservation. Ableman replied that there wasn’t much, and that the city’s water issues really stemmed from irrigation use.
Taves said he was frustrated with water restrictions imposed over the last several years, noting that brown parks was “not the image” the city wished to convey to visitors. Mayor Tom Trulove noted that the council will get a chance to address water issues soon during its upcoming budget process.
“It will be a major item we’ll be talking about,” he added.
Finally, council approved two additional items: final adoption of the city’s updated comprehensive plan and a $20,000 additional appropriation for repairing the city’s gazebo in Sutton Park. Originally contracted at $18,700, the additional money was needed, Ableman said, because work uncovered more concrete supports in the middle of the structure that had deteriorated, requiring replacement.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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