Land sold to allow road widening

The Central Valley School District board of directors voted Monday to sell about 8,600 square feet of land to the city of Spokane Valley for road improvements to Barker Road, north of Interstate 90.

The property at Mission Avenue and Barker is part of the district’s alternative high school site, also known as Barker Community Learning Center.

The district agreed to sell the land to the city for $12,960, and to grant a temporary construction easement for part of the center’s driveway.

The project is part of the city’s six-year Transportation Improvement Program, paid for in part with grant money.

Barker Road will be widened to three lanes, from Boone Avenue to the bridge over the Spokane River. The total project cost is $2.5 million, with the city’s share costing about $468,000.

Improvements to the area around the district’s site include new sidewalks, and the installation of a drainage ditch, said Dave Jackman, the director of auxiliary services for the district.

Four tall trees also will need to be taken out to make room for Avista crews to install power lines, and the installation of new sidewalks.

“We’re losing four trees, but we’re getting five back,” District Superintendent Mike Pearson said. The city will be replanting the four trees, plus another, he said.

The construction easement will allow crews access to part of the center’s driveway during construction, and for improvements to the driveway entrance to match up with the new road, Jackman said.