Council re‑adopts CIP with veteran cemetery added; planning staff report multiple housing projects and Lewis & Clark Ranch EIS schedule

West Richland — The City Council on June 17 unanimously readopted the 2025–2030 Capital Improvement Plan (Resolution 31-25) with one change: the plan was updated to add a veteran cemetery under the city’s facilities projects.

Public Works Director Oscar Slade told the council the CIP was previously adopted in February and the June 17 action “basically readopts it, but it adds 1 project. It adds the veteran cemetery under facilities. Everything else remains the same.” The council opened a public hearing on the CIP; no members of the public testified, and the council adopted Resolution 31-25.

Why it matters: Adding a veteran cemetery to the CIP puts the facility on the city’s capital priorities list and signals staff will plan for design, funding, or site work within the six‑year horizon.

Planning and development updates

Community Development staff briefed the council on several active development proposals. Eric Mendenhall said the city recently received an application for a 69‑unit apartment complex and anticipates a 230‑unit apartment application “probably this month, if not, first of next month.” He also noted approval of the final plat for the first phase of the Watermark subdivision, which will add more single‑family lots near Belmont and Paradise.

Mendenhall said the Lewis and Clark Ranch project is advancing: the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) will be issued on July 3, and the planning commission will hold an open house on July 10. He encouraged public review and said the city will have about a month to provide written comments on the draft EIS.

Consent agenda and contract items

During the consent agenda the council approved multiple routine and project items, including Ordinance 14-25 (amending street functional classifications by revising West Richland Municipal Code section 12.01.020 c, d and e), Resolution 28-25 (adopting the 2026–2031 six‑year transportation improvement program), several amendments to on‑call engineering contracts (including with JUB and PBS), and contract awards for well projects and SR 224 construction inspection services. No public comment was received on the consent agenda and the consent motion carried.

Attribution and next steps

This article is based on presentations by Public Works Director Oscar Slade and Community Development Director Eric Mendenhall during the June 17 council meeting and on council votes recorded at the meeting. The draft EIS release on July 3 and the July 10 planning commission open house are the immediate public engagement steps Mendenhall identified.