Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Palouse Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing Sept. 16 regarding a proposed housing development.
Roy Druffel of Sand Road Land Company of Pullman has submitted the documents for the first phase of construction on 21 lots. Community Action Center of Pullman has expressed interest in buying four lots while Habitat For Humanity has shown interest in two.
Druffel’s engineer, Munir Daud of Pullman, has submitted a water and sewer plan for the commission to review.
The 21 lots would be phase one of what Druffel intends as a two-phase, 42-lot development on Cove Road south of town.
Existing homes adjacent to the proposed site were developed by previous landowners Bruce and Joyce Beeson. Sand Road bought the land for the new project from them last spring.
The company also bought seven acres of former rail property owned by the Davis Land Group.
“Our intentions are to go slow, not to proceed either slow or fast, but just in providing houses as needed for the community,” Druffel said.
The smaller lots that Habitat and Community Action have shown interest in will be next to bigger lots, which could fit a house and a shed or shop.
Palouse building code requires the lots to average 10,000 square feet.
Druffel appeared at the Aug. 12 Palouse City Council meeting to ask for approval for the subdivision, which will need to meet city, county and state requirements.
The request has since been posted at city hall with a map seeking neighbors’ comments living within 1,500 feet.
In July, Sand Road hired a crew to put in a subdivision subgrade. Pending approval it will be followed by storm drains and further infrastructure.
“It’s subdivision dirt road right now,” Druffel said.
If the project is ultimately approved, a contractor would finish the road.
“I think to build by next spring would be a very feasible timeline,” Druffel said.
“The plan right now is to sell lots,” he said. He does not plan to construct houses on the lots.
The Beesons developed senior living apartments on two acres and sold one acre to Community Action. The farmland had long been in the family and set aside in grass for 15 years.
“I think it’s going to be a nice opportunity for the community,” said Druffel. “We really appreciate the opportunity by the Beesons to sell it to us.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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