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College Place consultant narrows Martin Airfield study area, pauses infrastructure work
Summary
A consultant updating the Martin Airfield planning study said the team narrowed the developable area to roughly 65 acres, added a 20.3-acre triangle with potential rail access and is pausing detailed infrastructure analysis while the city and developer confirm study limits; a final plan is expected in March.
Ben Hopp, presenting an update on the Martin Airfield planning study, said the team had revised the study area and temporarily paused infrastructure analysis while city and developer representatives confirm the boundaries.
Hopp said the team removed a southeast portion zoned residential and instead added “that 20.3 acre triangle north and west of Whitton across the road” to the study area to evaluate potential industrial uses, including sites that “happen to be right along the railroad” and could offer direct rail access. He said the parcel trade-off reduces the parcels evaluated from more than 200 acres to about 65 acres of developable industrial land once airport buffers, Doane Creek setbacks and existing hangar areas are excluded.
The consultant described the next steps as an infrastructure analysis and final plan, but said that work is on hold pending confirmation of the study limits. “We’re kind of holding on to infrastructure until we get…thumbs up or no surprising feedback,” Hopp said, and the team now expects to complete infrastructure evaluation and the final plan in March.
Hopp described expected lot sizes and access: lot footprints ranging from roughly 0.5 to 5 acres to accommodate wholesale and truck-transport users, new access points along Whitman Drive and a new road that could cross Doane Creek and connect to nearby residential areas. He also reiterated constraints from airport operations and creek buffers that limit developable acreage.
No formal action or vote accompanied the presentation; the commission thanked Hopp and moved on to other agenda items.
Why it matters: The study guides where the city and private developers could locate light industrial and rail-served sites near Martin Airfield. Confirmed study limits will determine whether the consultant proceeds to a detailed infrastructure plan and the timing of any developer negotiations or city permitting steps.
What’s next: Hopp said the team will finish its infrastructure analysis and the final plan “sometime in March.”
