Moscow Police’s move to new building delayed

The new Moscow police station on the intersection of Southview Avenue and U.S. Highway 95 will likely not be completed until the end of December.

Moscow City Supervisor Gary Riedner discussed the delay during a Moscow City Council meeting Tuesday.

Because of supply chain issues and complications from COVID-19, the city has been unable to acquire furnishings for the new police station, Riedner said. Those furnishings will likely not be available until early December.

Moscow anticipates it will take two weeks after delivery to install the furnishings. The city hopes to occupy the new police station by the beginning of January. Moscow residents passed a 10-year, $9.64 million general obligation bond in 2019 that funded the construction of the new police station.

This change means the sale of the current police station on Fourth Street to the University of Idaho will have to be delayed until no later than Jan. 10. The closing date was originally set for Nov. 15. On Tuesday, the City Council approved an amendment to the original purchase agreement with the UI to push back that closing date.

The UI plans to convert the Fourth Street space into the new Prichard Art Gallery, VandalStore and community space.

“We appreciate the University of Idaho’s flexibility in allowing us to continue to occupy the current police station until we can move into the new one,” Riedner said.

The City Council on Tuesday also approved a written decision to allow the construction of a wireless communications tower next to Moscow Church of the Nazarene on 1400 E. Seventh St.

The council on Oct. 4 reversed a Board of Adjustment decision to deny a conditional use permit application from Parallel Infrastructure to build the tower, which was designed to resemble a church tower. The board denied the application twice this year and determined the initial design of the tower was not harmonious with the surrounding neighborhood.

The City Council approved an 80-foot “tripod” tower that stands on three poles and is more than 1,000-square-feet smaller in its footprint than the original design.

The tower will be able to accommodate three cellphone carriers to provide better cell coverage in the area.

In other business, Moscow Police Chief James Fry gave the police department’s Lifesaving Award to officers Mitch Nunes and Jay Waters for their role in responding to the Sept. 25 shooting in Pullman that left one person dead and another injured.

While assisting the Pullman Police Department at the scene near the Washington State University campus, Waters provided security while Nunes tended to shooting victim Brandon Gray, who sustained life-threatening injuries. Fry said Nunes applied tourniquets and gauze to the gunshot wounds.

Gray is recovering from his injuries. The other victim, Liban Barre, died at Pullman Regional Hospital.

Fry said the officers cleared buildings and cars as they helped search for the suspect. George Melvin Harris III was arrested later that morning. The investigation into the shooting continues.

Also Tuesday, Mayor Bill Lambert awarded a key to the city to Damon Burton for his 30 years of service to the Parks and Recreation Commission. During that time, he played a role in the construction of the Hamilton-Lowe Aquatics Center, Hamilton Indoor Recreation Center and the Moscow School District Community Playfields.

Burton recently moved to Michigan.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.