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| Splash photo by Craig Howard |
Whitewater Creek Inc., developer of multi-family residential projects like Broadwing in east Liberty Lake, has withdrawn its application to install 700 ground source heat pumps as part of a new development in the same area off East Appleway called Lakemore.
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Developer abandons proposal for ground source heat pumps
11/25/2014 12:28:40 PM
By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor
Whitewater Creek Inc., a Hayden-based developer, has withdrawn its application to install 700 ground source heat pumps as part of Lakemore, a new mixed-use development in the eastern section of Liberty Lake.
The move late last month came after Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District officials expressed concern about the scale of the project and the idea of submerging the geothermal devices 450 feet into the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. The wells would have powered the heating and cooling systems for the development off East Appleway Avenue.
"I think there was a very high level of interest and concern," Commissioner Kottayam Natarajan said. "I was relieved to hear that Whitewater Creek decided to pursue heating sources other than geothermal, only because I was very concerned about the potential impacts to our sole source aquifer."
Natarajan said the situation "did a lot to raise awareness about our aquifer."
In a letter withdrawing the proposal for the ground source heat pumps, Todd Prescott, co-owner of Whitewater, wrote, "We are currently reviewing other sustainable options that would provide parallel benefits to the vertical closed loop ground source heat pump system. We will keep you informed as we move forward."
The project proposal originally was reviewed by the city, which outlined requirements for Whitewater Creek to meet before moving forward, including the construction of a test well under the supervision of a licensed Washington state hydrogeologist.
However, in early September, LLSWD voted to take over as the lead agency in reviewing the project and began the process of conducting an environmental impact study under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) to determine the threat of the project to the aquifer.
Whitewater Creek petitioned the Washington Department of Ecology to resolve the lead agency question between the city and LLSWD. The petition also challenged that the sewer and water district is not "an agency with jurisdiction," said BiJay Adams, general manager of LLSWD.
The DOE sided with the water and sewer district, saying the "the district is an agency with jurisdiction for the total project (that now includes the geothermal wells)."
News of the Whitewater decision came as a relief to LLSWD commissioners and staff, including Adams who said the district was "looking forward to working with (Whitewater) in the future."
"Many entities were keeping track of this project knowing that if it were applied here it could be applied anywhere over the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer in the region," Adams said. "The district received numerous comments opposed to the project from residents of Liberty Lake, throughout the region and across the state line."
Along with being encouraged with the level of citizen response, LLSWD Commissioner Tom Agnew said the scenario sent a message that future developers "should be prepared to conduct an environmental impact statement to ascertain that their project doesn't risk Liberty Lake's drinking water."
"Liberty Lake residents speak up and take action in support of their community," he said. "It's one of the things I most treasure about living here."
Liberty Lake Mayor Steve Peterson applauded Whitewater's decision to withdraw its geothermal wells application.
"I believe Whitewater Creek realized that the benefits did not outweigh the risk in offering the heating choices," Peterson said. "The cost just in maintenance and compliance testing going forward would far exceed current traditional heating and cooling cost and would not provide adequate compensation to the developer nor superior benefit to the future homeowners."
Whitewater has been an emerging presence in Liberty Lake residential development in recent years, offering the sort of affordable multi-family housing not traditionally abundant in the city. The company initially built a pair of apartment complexes - Talon Hills and First Liberty - in the eastern section of Liberty Lake and followed those projects with Broadwing in 2012, a 50-unit site characterized by "workforce level rents with income restrictions," according to Prescott. Lakemore is the latest in the Whitewater/Liberty Lake portfolio.
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