By BECKY THOMAS
Staff Reporter
More than a year of meetings, workshops and city staff work culminated Tuesday night when the Cheney City Council approved an ordinance enacting a new comprehensive plan.
The plan was adopted unanimously at the March 8 meeting of the council, following the two previous meetings that marked the first and second readings of the ordinance.
Cheney resident Rande Lindner raised a request that a portion of land he owned north of the city be added to the urban growth boundary, a request he has brought to council and planning commission in the past. Community Development director Brian Jennings said the boundary had been established through Spokane County in 2008, which was “too soon” to address it again in the comprehensive plan.
With the long process of creating a new comprehensive plan coming to a close, Mayor Tom Trulove pointed out that the plan would remain on the council's agenda in coming months as the city moves toward fulfilling some of the plan's goals.
Council also received an update on the renovation of the Wren Pierson Building. Project architect Matt Jacoby said work was progressing well despite a few weather-related setbacks. He said crews were delayed in pouring cement for the footings of the addition that went up last week.
“We all kind of threw a party when they finally got it in, because they needed that done before they could start building up,” he said.
Public Works director Todd Ableman said they are currently estimating June 18 as the completion date for the renovation of Cheney's community center.
Also at the meeting, Joe Tortorelli gave the council an update on economic development for the city. Tortorelli works for Cheney on recruiting new businesses to the city, but he didn't have much good news for the past year.
“As you know, with the economy it's been rather a dry year,” he said. Tortorelli said cold calling to businesses had yielded few results, and very few industries were looking to expand.
He also mentioned that All-Pak Trojan had plans to invest in a cardboard corrugator at their location in the city's industrial park.
“That would be a $6-10 million investment and it would only be the fourth one on the west coast,” he said.
Finally council approved a $4,850 change order to a 2005 contract for electric feeder and circuit rebuilding. Light director Joe Noland said the project was mostly done, but the city decided to use a higher grade of conductor to handle new development in Cheney.
Becky Thomas can be reached at becky@cheneyfreepress.com.
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