Planning Commission approves conditional use permit for Ritzville School District project

The City of Ritzville Planning Commission unanimously approved a conditional use permit based on the Ritzville School District’s application for construction, following a staff review and presentation during the April 11 meeting.

A public hearing was held during the same meeting in compliance with the project.

Studio Cascade was contracted by the City of Ritzville to complete the staff report. The city is currently without a building official and utilized Studio Cascade to complete the review.

Studio Cascade’s report did not have any findings or conclusions, and recommended the application for approval. The report outlines the necessary permits, impacts and plans the school district must also complete before construction can begin.

The school district’s proposal outlines the plan to modernize the existing Lind-Ritzville High School, with additional site work to be completed in conjunction with the project. This will include paving the current parking lots, enhancing sidewalks and landscaping.

A conditional use permit is required for this project as the school is located in a Single Family Residential-1 Zone.

After the school district completed a SEPA checklist, it was determined there are not any unmitigated environmental impacts, and therefore the school district issued a Determination of Non-Significance (DNS) for the proposal. The City of Ritzville also approved the DNS.

In the findings and conclusions, the project was consistent with the Ritzville Comprehensive Plan and met the requirements. Studio Cascade’s report stated the proposed parking lots are not permitted in an R-1 zone. The suggestion was to create a Public Facilities Overlay zone, which would identify the school as a public facility.

Studio Cascade’s report stated the project has minimal impact on water usage, and will ultimately improve storm drainage and decrease the environmental impacts.

There were no impacts identified through the SEPA review process that would need to be mitigated.

In regards to public health, safety and welfare, Studio Cascade said the improvement at the school would allow the school district to better serve the community.

Access to the school will be improved through the installation of ADA ramps, and sidewalks and parking lots around the school will also undergo improvements. The stormwater drainage system will be improved to better serve the environment, and the landscaping will help the beautification of the property.

The Department of Ecology also submitted written comments for the proposal, which were included with the application.

The staff recommendation for the project qualified that the school district must have a Conditional Use Permit agreement recorded with the Adams County Auditor’s Office before the issuance of building permits.

Also, prior to any ground disturbing activities, the stormwater pollution prevention plan must be submitted to the appropriate department.

Commissioner Dwight Olson had concerns about the absence of a storm water prevention plan. As there was not a representative from the school district present, Studio Cascade staff explained the plan will be included in the second half of the process, and must be submitted prior to construction.

Adams County Building and Planning Department staff will be reviewing the documentation before the project begins, Chairman Stephen McFadden explained.

After the public hearing, the commissioners discussed if they had the appropriate documentation and information to approve the conditional use permit. The commissioners unanimously approved the permit, with the qualification that all additional plans and permits must be approved by the building and planning department.

The Planning Commission also approved a sign permit to Cory Bartlett for his business, Gigamedics, and a facade brick work and window installation permit to Dennis Chamberlain. Both applications were missing a line drawing of potential project to show scale, and the applications were approved with the qualification that those missing items must be submitted prior to installation.

The City of Ritzville will be placing a 90-day moratorium on containers located within the city, and at the upcoming planning commission meeting in May, the commissioners will discuss what restrictions they want to place on containers. McFadden said he will provide a package of code samples from neighboring cities as a reference for the Ritzville commission.

The planning commission will be focusing solely on shipping containers and accessory buildings.

During the April meeting, the planning commission welcomed Donna Perelli-Matlock to the board. There are still two remaining board vacancies, and any individual interested in filling the role is asked to contact Mayor Gary Cook at Ritzville City Hall.