College Hill parking lot plans on hold

Some information in this story was attributed to the wrong person in the original version of this story. Those attributions have been correct in the current version.

Plans to build a parking lot on Pullman’s historic College Hill are paused while the city considers a neighborhood group’s appeal.

The city’s hearing examiner, Andrew Kottkamp, reviewed concerns raised by the College Hill Association about a property located at 975 NE B St. in Pullman during a special meeting Monday.

Property owner Justin Rogers has proposed the construction of a privately owned parking lot, new driveway and stairs that accompanies renovations to the home. The project gained environmental approval by the city in April, and a revised site plan was accepted in December.

The association, a local nonprofit that works to preserve College Hill’s Historic District, filed an appeal with the city shortly after. The organization says the site plans are inconsistent with the city’s goals and policies regarding historic preservation, and are detrimental to the welfare of the area.

The project first drew attention from residents last year when Rogers cut down all large trees on the half-acre plot.

City documents say Rogers bought the home from Washington State University in 2022 with hopes to restore the property. The structure had suffered an interior flood in 2018 and sat vacant before the acquisition.

Rogers plans to renovate the home into an eight-bedroom property. In order to comply with city code, four additional parking spaces must be created, Community Development Director RJ Lott said.

Allison Munch-Rotolo, co-chairperson of the association’s Board of Directors, said the initially approved plan’s environmental checklist failed to specify the project is nestled in a National Register Historic District and neighbors properties listed on the Pullman Register of Historic Places.

She added the city’s Comprehensive Plan includes policies to minimize the disturbance or destruction of sites and areas with significant historical value. Munch-Rotolo claims changes to the landscape could adversely affect College Hill’s historic integrity.

She said properties on College Hill never had driveways and parking lots in their yards during their period of historical significance. Introducing new elements would damage physical features of the setting, she said, and impact the way they can be interpreted by the public as historic now.

Munch-Rotolo recommended several alternatives to meet the home’s parking needs.

Occupants could park in the existing back-alley entrance, which has been a feasible solution for the past century, she said. Residents could also apply for a special use permit for historic structures to allow for on- and off-site parking. She mentioned Washington State University has a nearby parking lot at the alleyway entrance that could be used by purchasing a permit.

Munch-Rotolo also suggested the property owner could revise the site proposal to reduce the need for additional parking spaces. She noted changing plans to six bedrooms instead of eight would only require two extra parking spots.

Lott said city staff are bound by city code instead of the purview of preferences. Any alteration to the project’s scope must be done by the property owner.

He added that the city has no design standards for historic properties. While the home sits within the National Register historic district, the residence itself is not listed on the Pullman Register of Historic Places.

Lott said the half-acre parcel gives plenty of room for a four-car lot. He noted that denying a residential parking lot in a residential zone could set a “dangerous precedent” for future developments.

He recommends the association and property owner work together to mutually benefit from the issue present.

Kottkamp will review the appeal and announce his decision by Feb. 21.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.