Logos’ proposed roof raises questions from Moscow board

The Moscow Board of Adjustment tabled a decision Tuesday night on a conditional use permit for the proposed construction of the new Logos School on Mountain View Road.

The conditional use permit would allow the school to exceed building height restrictions written in the Moscow city code for moderate density, single-family residential zoning districts. The current residential zone allows a maximum roof height of 35 feet. The proposed school would have a 46-foot roof.

Boardmember Linda Pall proposed tabling the decision after community members raised concerns about the environmental impact of the new school, claiming the site is a wetland and construction could create future flooding.

While the Moscow City Council has already approved the annexation and rezoning of the 30-acre lot off of Mountain View Road, east of Mountain View Park, where the new school will be constructed, the Moscow Board of Adjustment held a public hearing discussing the height and location of the building Tuesday.

During the public hearing with the City Council in mid-May, residents expressed concerns of increased pedestrian and vehicle traffic, as well as the school taking away from the aesthetic appeal of the Mountain View Park area.

Like past public hearings on the matter, some members of the community had similar concerns about aesthetic appeal, a roundabout on Mountain View Road, the idea of a 46-foot roof and the unknown environmental impact of the project.

Some board and community members said they understand if the gym’s roof exceeded the city’s 35-foot restriction, but they don’t want to see the rest of the school at that height.

Jerry Long, a member of the board, asked those behind the project why the roof had to be uniformly 46 feet, and not just the gym.

Larry Stephenson, Logos superintendent, said it could be lower in other areas, but the gym is required to have at least a 28-foot buffer from the gym floor to the lights, a requirement for district sports competitions.

Pall asked why the gym couldn’t be placed further underground.

Scott Becker, an engineer on the project, said moisture could be an issue for the wooden gym floor, adding the site is in a floodplain.

There are about a half-dozen requirements the city is requesting before the school is constructed, including extending the city water and sewer system, adding a maintenance road that will run in front of the school and connect Mountain View Road with F Street, widening Mountain View Road to 28 feet, constructing a pedestrian bridge to cross Paradise Creek and constructing a roundabout to create better flow for increased traffic.

One reason the board tabled the decision was time. Before the board got to discuss the new school, they argued for more than two hours about renewing the Palouse Ice Rink’s Special Use Permit.

The board was hung up on the fact the parking lot at the facility hasn’t been paved for 16 years and therefore violated all previous permits awarded to the facility.

Long said it is a decision that should go to the City Council because it’s the board’s job to play politics and pick and choose who goes where, given the space isn’t correctly zoned.

One neighbor adjacent to the facility complained about the noise from the facility.

Eventually, after multiple failed motions, the board passed a three-year permit under the stipulation a buffer would be created to shield headlights and sound.

Josh Babcock can be reached at (208) 883-4630, or by email to jbabcock@dnews.com.