County cancels lease on Boyd elevator site

Acting on a recommendation from the Palouse Trail Committee, Whitman County commissioners Monday ended the county’s lease with Bob Boyd for land that runs between the Chipman Trail and the Moscow-Pullman Highway.

Boyd had leased the property, which is adjacent to property he owns, from the county. He previously owned a grain elevator that was situated on both parcels.

The grain bins and head house were destroyed by a fire Aug. 10, 2007.

Since that time, the county has been leasing the parcels to Boyd under a series of six-month leases.

Keith Kopf had leased the elevators from Boyd. Kopf said he intended to rebuild an elevator at the site, but wanted a long-term lease with the county.

The trail committee last Thursday unanimously approved a recommendation that commissioners cancel the lease, said Tim Myers, county parks director.

The committee also said commissioners should consider purchasing Boyd’s land to build a trailhead or to erect a marker welcoming passersby to Pullman.

Kopf criticized the commissioners’ Monday decision, saying another elevator would have provided lease and tax revenue, while a trailhead would cost the county more money.

“But I guess you guys are more interested in a bike path than in getting more revenue,” he said.

Boyd previously leased the land from the Union Pacific Railroad. The railroad transferred ownership of the ground to the county as part of the railbank program that helped create the Chipman Trail. The railbanking is intended to preserve former railroad right-of-ways for possible restoration of rail service.