Council to consider apartment incentives, SR 125 study
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, October 11th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
COLLEGE PLACE – The College Place City Council meets tonight (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. and will consider awarding the full $10,000 downtown catalyst incentive to Battle Ground-based VESPER LLC, who plans to build an apartment complex along College Avenue and applying for a federal grant to study a portion of State Route 125.
On July 18 the city received an application from Rod Shearer for the downtown catalyst incentive to be used to develop a three-story, 24-unit apartment building on the corner of South College Avenue and Southwest Eighth Street. The downtown catalyst incentive is applicable to developments in the College Avenue downtown mixed-use zone if the development has at least two stories and comprises either at least five residential dwelling units or 3,000 square feet of commercial space. This complex measures 20,025 square feet. City Administrator Mike Rizzitiello said this project meets the qualifying criteria for encouraging redevelopment of underdeveloped sites and promoting development adjacent to College Avenue.
The incentive can cover partial or full costs of environmental impact and civil plan reviews, building permits and grading upon the findings of the city’s Economic Development, Tourism, and Events Commission and the concurrence of city council. Last month, the commission recommended granting full waiver under the downtown catalyst incentive to the VESPER LLC project. The code for the downtown catalyst incentive allows for one project per year withing the downtown mixed-use zone along College Avenue.
Also on the agenda, council members will consider applying for a $100,000 federal grant to pay for a study of State Route 125 between College Avenue and Myra Road. Recently, the city has heard concerns from citizens pertaining to the speed along the corridor, the perceived need for sound walls between Larch Avenue to just east of Commercial Drive, and for additional pedestrian crossing via a pedestrian bridge or other means to get across the corridor. The grant would pay for a planning study in which the city can hire a consultant to conduct outreach and recommend treatment options for the corridor that connects neighborhoods on both sides of the corridor while preserving safety.
Graphic of proposed apartment complex via the city of College Place
