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What's the Dirt?
Planning for Our Future » What's the dirt? Next to Ridgeline High School...

What's the dirt? Next to Ridgeline High School...

The former gun club property, next to Ridgeline High School (between Country Vista and Sprague, west of Henry), was purchased by Central Valley School District in order to build Ridgeline and is also slated as a reserve site for future school district use. Plans include a middle school and elementary school, much like the campus setting on the other side of the district including University High School, Horizon Middle School and Chester Elementary. Future use may also include other operational district facilities, yet to be determined.

 

CVSD is working with the Department of Ecology (DOE) to clean up the property, formerly known as the Spokane Gun Club. It must be cleaned up and approved by DOE, prior to the district utilizing or surplusing the land. Neither the district, nor the school board, has made any decision about what to do with any surplus land, once the cleanup is complete.

Clean Up Map

Future Land Use Concepts:

  • 29.5 acres reserved for a future middle school and elementary school site
  • 34.5 acres designated for other uses or surplus
  • 5 acres reserved for soil repository
  • NOTE: The Ridgeline High School campus site is 60 acres

Why is there so much dirt? 

This is all part of the ecological cleanup work to mitigate the years of lead shot and clay pigeons that were deposited on the ground. The Ridgeline site was beyond the shot range and did not require mitigation. The remaining property is being cleaned and prepped for future district use.
 
When the Spokane Gun Club relocated, any remaining lead shot was removed. However, the soil that remained still needed to be cleaned as it was contaminated with both lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). There was actually a deeper clean up required from the clay pigeons that produce PAHs than there was for the lead. Thus, the large piles of dirt being excavated. See the DOE project information page for further details.
 

Current Status

  • Demolition and removal of the buildings, concrete, and bunkers was completed.
  • Excavation and stockpiling of soils is ongoing, and the contractor has begun filling the repository.
  • Once cleanup is complete, the district will evaluate the site to determine the best use for the property. 
  • Once the repository is filled, the remaining soil will undergo testing to ensure compliance with the DOE's clean soil standards.
  • The repository will then be covered with a durable vinyl barrier.
  • Finally, clean topsoil, currently stockpiled on-site, will be spread across the entire area.
  • After receiving a "No Further Action" letter from DOE, the district and school board can determine the next steps for the property.

Timeline

  • 2018 - CVSD acquired several parcels at the former Spokane Gun Club site. It was understood at the time that site cleanup would be required for future use or potential sale of the property. As part of the acquisition, the Spokane Gun Club agreed to contribute up to $1,000,000 toward cleanup costs.
  • November 2021 - The district solicited bids for the cleanup project. Of the resultant six bids, the lowest bid came in at $2,897,467. At that time, the DOE informed the district that the voluntary cleanup program (VCP) could not be used for this project, requiring a transition to a more involved process.
  • December 2021 - Consequently, all bids were rejected.
  • February 2023 - The district received notification that a formal cleanup agreement might not yield any better outcomes than proceeding under the VCP. The district re-entered the VCP and resumed planning for the project.
  • November 15, 2023 - a second round of bidding resulted in ten bids, with the apparent low bid of $2,987,657. The district is working with OAC, Haley & Aldrich, and the DOE to meet the cleanup standard with no further action required. 
  • March 31, 2025 - Excavation of materials to repository and material testing will finish.
  • April 1 - May 2025 - The repository will be covered and top soil will be redistributed on top of the repository.
  • May 20, 2025 - The project will be at substantial completion.

Cost of the Project

The total contract cost with the low bidder Halme Construction, Inc. is $2,987,657.50. Of this cost, $1,000,000 will be covered from the reserve for cleanup held in a trust per the purchase and sale agreement with the former Spokane Gun Club.
Department of Ecology:
Background: