District outlines encumbrance and partnership plan for proposed aquatic center sale

Pullman School District staff told the board on June 11 that the district’s proposed sale of the aquatic center property includes a federal encumbrance that obliges the district to replace an equal value of outdoor recreation land when the property is sold.

Justin Polstead, who presented the update, said the property was “funded partially … back in 1970” and that the encumbrance means “anytime if you sell any of that property that was funded by the federal government, we then have to replace that equitable amount of property somewhere else” as outdoor recreation land. Polstead said the district would have a three‑year planning window after a sale to identify and acquire replacement outdoor recreation property.

Polstead described work with SEL (an outside organization) on two primary options discussed earlier: a long‑term commercial lease or an outright sale. He said SEL has consistently preferred to own the property, citing SEL’s “long term investment in the community in Pullman.” Polstead told the board that SEL intends to continue programs now hosted at the facility and that district staff see the sale as a potential way to remove a long‑term maintenance liability from the district’s books.

Polstead addressed community concerns that selling the property could be a burden because of the encumbrance. He said the sale also creates “a unique opportunity to partner with the city and other groups in our community, to create a space that is beneficial for the entire community,” and noted potential grant partnerships and local groups willing to assist with maintenance, including Phoenix Conservancy, United Way and Washington State University volunteers.

Polstead said an alternative — a long‑term commercial lease intended to avoid triggering the encumbrance — was discussed but that SEL’s preference to own was clear. He recommended continued collaboration with SEL, the city and community partners and said the district will have three years after a finalized sale to plan, purchase and implement replacement outdoor recreation land that satisfies the encumbrance.

Why it matters: The encumbrance affects how the district can monetize or transfer the aquatic center site and requires replacement of outdoor recreation value, which could affect where and how the community’s recreation assets are maintained. The sale could remove a building‑maintenance liability from district operations but shifts responsibility for replacement land and maintenance planning to the district and local partners.

No final sale or lease was approved on June 11; Polstead said the district was continuing conversations with SEL and the city and that SEL had expressed a preference to own the facility rather than lease it.