Kamiak school decision could come tonight

Pullman Board of Adjustment will meet tonight in the Pullman City Council chambers at city hall in regard to the conditional use permit application from the Pullman School District for the construction of Kamiak Elementary School.

The board tonight is expected to make a decision on the permit after not being able to come to a conclusion two weeks ago. The board was left with several questions after nearly two-and-a-half hours of testimony from Pullman residents and the Pullman School District in regard to concerns about the school construction.

Nearly everyone present said they supported the construction of the school, but several residents raised concerns over the proposed construction plan having only one access road. Residents wanted to see a condition in the permit approval for the school district to connect Terre View Drive and Greyhound Way, while Pullman Planning Director Pete Dickinson said a second access road would likely be constructed in two to five years via potential home development on nearby Canyon View Drive.

Pullman Superintendent Bob Maxwell told those present two weeks ago that if a condition was put in about the road construction, he feared that Kamiak Elementary would not be able to be constructed at all. He cited the bond money, approved by Pullman voters in February of 2016 at $23.5 million dollars, having an expiration date of three years. He also informed those present that the school district does not own the land in question for potential road construction, which could lead to delays if the district were required to construct the access road.

Questions presented to Dickinson to have answered prior to tonight's meeting included investigating the cost of constructing a temporary gravel road versus a developed road for access, the cost of extending Greyhound Way versus Canyon View Drive, the bond money timeline and concerns two adjacent landowners presented about flood mitigation.

The meeting tonight is slated for 7:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.