PULLMAN — A proposal to create a University District on College Hill came to an end Feb. 24, in a 5-2 vote by the Pullman City Council.
The original proposal to create a University District was begun in May 2008 and garnered much discussion among faculty, staff, students and the surrounding community.
On Jan. 20, WSU President Elson S. Floyd presented the council with a proposal to establish geographic boundaries for a University District on the southern portion of College Hill.
During that presentation, Floyd suggested the creation of a citizen advisory committee — made up of stakeholders throughout the designated area — to craft suggestions to make the neighborhood a safer and more enjoyable place to live and present those suggestions to the Pullman City Council for consideration. The concept was simply to identify a geographic area on College Hill — primarily populated by WSU students — and then provide key stakeholders in the area with the opportunity to collaborate with the City and WSU in identifying and addressing neighborhood needs.
Then, at its Feb. 24 meeting, the Pullman City Council voted to not approve the significantly scaled-back University District proposal.
“We respect the decision of the Pullman City Council and value the dialogue about student and neighborhood needs the proposal stimulated. This is one community, and we will continue to be good partners with the City of Pullman as it works to address the needs of our students living on College Hill,” said Floyd.
