Plans for Mazda site in the works

Now that the Post Falls City Council has agreed to buy the former Post Falls Mazda site, attention is being turned toward planning to convert that site to city fleet and wastewater uses and what to do with the existing fleet storage and maintenance yard neighboring Black Bay Park.

The Council voted Monday to authorize Mayor Clay Larkin to sign the $2.9 million agreement to purchase the Post Falls Mazda property neighboring the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

The Mazda facility already has several maintenance bays but the city will need to build at least two more at least 14 feet high to work on large dump trucks, street sweepers, front end loaders and a backhoe, said City Administrator Eric Keck.

“We are kind of in the scoping phase of determining what the building costs will be,” Keck said.

The city already has money set aside in its current budget to build a vehicle washing bay. That money could be put toward renovating the Mazda site.

Addressing the city’s wastewater treatment needs isn’t so simple, Keck said.

“We do need to expand the plant,” he said, adding that the Mazda site’s location right next door to the existing plant is very fortuitous. Even so, the city must work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to get the permits it needs to add to treatment capacity. Reducing phosphorus in the effluent discharged into the Spokane River is a key part of that process.

As for the city’s current fleet headquarters neighboring Black Bay Park, Keck said there is the potential to convert the property to several different purposes.

The four acres could be converted to park land to add to the existing park or the city could move equipment currently housed at Q’emiln Park to the Black Bay site, opening up more of Q’emiln to recreational uses.

Another option would be to sell the Black Bay fleet property, which was appraised last year at about $860,000.

The bottom line is both the Mazda property and the Black Bay facility offer many possibilities, Keck said.

“This is a huge strategic acquisition,” he said.