Council advances development agreement to guide infrastructure for new elementary school

Hillyard City Council on March 9 took up Ordinance 26-08, a first reading that would authorize a development agreement with the Hillyard City School District for infrastructure tied to a new elementary school on recently annexed land.

Staff summarized the agreement as governing the construction of certain public improvements, including oversizing a water main and installing fiber optic conduit concurrently with construction. The city has agreed to waive certain fees totaling roughly $125,000 and to reimburse the district about $25,000 for installing fiber at the same time as the public-work construction, to avoid later excavation and reconstruction.

Staff noted part of the site accessed from a currently unextended Mir Parkway will function as the school driveway until the roadway is connected to the east; the development agreement contains provisions to protect access and provide opportunities for additional pedestrian connections as surrounding development proceeds. Council approved the ordinance's first reading; a second reading and public hearing are set for March 23, 2026.

The measure was discussed alongside the two annexations that the council approved earlier in the meeting; staff said the development agreement relies on those annexation approvals.