"Pullman development put on hold"

More detail on this breaking story from yesterday in today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

H and R Development to ‘re-evaluate’ proposed mixed-use 50-unit complex in the city’s downtown

H and R Development, LLC, has withdrawn its application for a conditional use permit for a proposed development on the corner of Paradise and High streets in Pullman.

City Planning Director Pete Dickinson said he received a short e-mail from H and R Managing Member and CEO Justin Rogers on Wednesday morning indicating that the company needed time to “re-evaluate the project.”

The company had proposed a mixed-use 50-unit complex in the central business-zoned area.

Rogers declined comment, except to confirm that the company has shelved the project.

“That’s all we’re going to say at this time,” he said.

The proposed project became a heated topic when it was first discussed with the Pullman Board of Adjustment last month. A large group of Pioneer Hill residents attended the Jan. 22 meeting to voice their opposition because of questions surrounding parking and the long-term direction of growth in the downtown area.

High Street resident Rich Scott is relieved that the project has been put on hold, although he knows the issue is far from over.

“I don’t think any of us have the sense that we’ve won. We realize that we still need to move ahead with our concerns and we really want to work with Justin Rogers and his crew,” he said. “Obviously, they have an investment in the property so they’re going to have to move ahead on some sort of development.”

Scott said he and a handful of concerned residents met with Rogers on Monday.

“I don’t know (if) that meeting had any result in (the application being withdrawn), but it was a very healthy exchange,” he said. “It was very cordial and congenial. We shared our concerns and gave them feedback. I hope we can work on a project that would be a win-win for both of us.”

The board of adjustment tabled a public hearing on the matter during its January meeting due to a potential conflict of interest regarding a board member who also is an active developer. The hearing was rescheduled for Monday but has since been canceled, Dickinson said.

“We’ll just wait and see if they provide us with any more information,” he said of H and R Development.