Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
More than 50 residents packed the Palouse City Council chambers April 24 to hear the council turn down a preliminary proposal to annex land south of Fairview Road to build nine triplexes.
The land, east of town off North River Road on the hill toward Potlatch, is zoned as R1-residential.
Parametrix, an engineering, planning and environmental sciences firm in Pullman, submitted a request for the city to annex the land from the county – which would allow access to water and sewer – and for a non-conforming use to build triplexes.
The R1 zone does not allow triplexes, so a conditional use permit from the Palouse board of adjustment was required.
“Everything that was proposed is allowed within the city zoning code,” said Angela Taylor, senior engineer at Parametrix. Taylor presented the proposal to the council, which took comments at the meeting.
Several town citizens spoke, noting their lack of support.
Molly Kelton, a resident of the neighborhood, spoke to 50-60 people before the meeting.
“We’re interested in some growth in Palouse, but for this property this really missed the mark,” said Kelton of the area of many one-acre and larger lots. “Aligning for the culture of Palouse, it was very high-density for the location. This is a very rural, quiet part of town. It was just really mis-matched.”
The space proposed for annex is 2.4 acres, which was slated for 10 lots, to include full-width right-of-way to the east including Winfield Road, full width right-of-way to the west including Ellis Road, and full-width right of way to the south including Idaho Road. On the north end, the annex would have extended to the south right-of-way line along Fairview Avenue.
“That would’ve been the densest block in Palouse,” said Mayor Micheal Echanove.
Parametrix’s plans for the triplexes included construction to start in June and running through the fall and winter of 2018. Utility extensions and connections would have occurred this summer.
“We’ve since re-thought it, and will go back for approval of single-family homes,” Taylor said. “The intent is still for it to be affordable housing.”
She noted that her firm will propose nine homes on 6,000 square-foot lots, the houses approximately 1,200 square feet. Taylor indicated that Parametrix will submit new paperwork to Palouse before the end of May. Parametrix – which merged with Taylor Engineering two years ago – represents the landowner, Cottages at Fairview, LLC, which bought the land last fall.
The city council weighed several factors in voting down the proposal.
“One of the criteria for whether to approve is a positive or neutral effect on local residents,” said Echanove. “It was a nonconforming use and all the residents, there was no support for it.”
He noted he had never seen a crowd that size at city hall in his 24 years as council member or mayor.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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