Farmer, County Settle Produce-Stand Battle Kinyon Allowed To Build 800-Square Foot Structure

A growing business hasn’t been peachy for Otis Orchards farmer Dave Kinyon.

For the past two years, Kinyon has battled with Spokane County to build a bigger produce stand near his present Fresh Start Produce stand on the corner of Harvard and Wellesley.

It started two years ago when Kinyon applied for a building permit for an 800-square foot produce stand just west of his current site.

County codes allow for only a 300-square foot stand on agricultural property.

Kinyon said he stopped construction when he learned he would have had to put in curbs, sidewalks and a paved parking lot that cost six times more than his building.

He stayed at his 320-square foot stand, filled with stacks of apple and peach boxes in the aisles.

Kinyon said he doesn’t own credit cards, hasn’t borrowed money from the bank and the only reason he got a checking account was for the business.

“If you don’t have cash, you shouldn’t be doing it,” said Kinyon, 50.

Then Kinyon got an idea. He didn’t know of any county ordinance that wouldn’t let him put up a portable building on his property. He thought there would be no problem.

Wrong. Last month county inspectors told him to cease and desist.

Kinyon decided he had had enough. He sent daily faxes to Gov. Gary Locke’s office, to his state legislators and to anyone else who would listen.

The governor’s office even called the county offices.

This month, the county sent out a new inspector. “The nicest guy in the world,” said Kinyon.

They hammered out details and found he could have his 800-square foot building - 300 square feet of which would be used for produce sales and 500 square feet for storage.

Now Kinyon is thrilled he’ll be in a brand-new building with more parking and enough room for people to walk through the aisles.

At night he’ll be able to shut the front doors without spending hours gathering up produce he stacks outside.

He’s planning on moving his family’s nursery next to it and growing organic vegetables out back.

“We’re moving in next weekend. That’s all there is to it, whether I have to run off batteries or not,” Kinyon said.