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West Richland council debates zoning change to permit utility facilities citywide; amendment to include minor utilities approved
Summary
Council and staff debated a text amendment to the West Richland Municipal Code to allow major utility facilities in all zones. Council amended the proposed ordinance to also permit minor utilities citywide; the amendment passed unanimously. A final roll call on adoption was not recorded in the public transcript.
The West Richland City Council considered a text amendment Jan. 21 that would change the municipal code to allow utility infrastructure such as water towers, reservoirs and wells in all zones.
City Community Development Director Eric Mindenhall told the council the change is intended to “help facilitate a lot of the existing infrastructure that the city has” and to avoid delays that staff said occur when the city must process conditional-use permits for city-owned facilities.
The amendment drew extended debate from council members who said they were divided between streamlining long-planned capital projects and preserving public notice and review. Councilmember John Smart said making such utilities a permitted use would remove the planning commission and council-level review that currently gives neighbors notice and an opportunity to comment. “I don't think it's frequent enough to be that much of a bother. I'd like to keep it the…
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