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Kennewick residents press city for action over alleged auto‑repair operation on West Fourth Avenue
Summary
At the June 17 Kennewick City Council meeting, several residents urged city action over a property at 3408 West Fourth Ave they say is operating as an informal auto‑repair business, creating noise, street obstructions and possible environmental hazards. City staff said they are working on the matter.
Several Kennewick residents used the city council public‑comment period on June 17 to urge the council and city staff to take action against a property they say operates as an informal auto‑repair business at 3408 West Fourth Ave.
"My neighbor and I are frustrated with what we see as a lack of action with city agencies," resident Kai Carpenter told the council, listing complaints that include loud late‑night engine revving, welding and fighting, vehicles parked in the street blocking access, and possible improper disposal of automotive fluids. "I have contacted the police department, code enforcement, fire marshal, and my city councilman. We feel we have taken the appropriate steps up the chain to get some resolution for our neighborhood."
Another neighbor, Nancy Lenhart, said she has lived in her home for 39 years and described the property as having "a river of nothing but oil, antifreeze" that she can smell when collecting the mail. Lenhart said she has been woken at 2–4 a.m. by noise from the site and that a trailer was once left in the middle of the road without lights.
A third resident described repeated late‑night activity and said the property appears to be running a business from a residential lot.
Residents said they have filed records requests and were told by at least one person that "they're building a case," but that little visible enforcement had followed. Carpenter and others said the police had been called to the address "over 100" times.
City Manager Ehrman responded near the meeting's end, acknowledging staff have been working on the issue and saying city staff will continue to pursue remedies: "Your comments have not gone on deaf ears ... I know they've been working on it already behind the scenes." Ehrman did not announce a specific enforcement action at the meeting.
Why it matters: Residents said the property poses potential public‑safety and environmental risks (flammable fluids, runoff into unpaved areas), blocks pedestrian/vehicle access where sidewalks are missing, and reduces neighbors' ability to use their homes without disturbance. They told the council the situation has caused stress and expense for home security measures.
What happened next: Council did not take an immediate enforcement vote during the public‑comment period. Multiple residents said they had already contacted KPD, code enforcement and the fire marshal; the city manager indicated staff are continuing to address the complaints.
Clarifying details from the meeting: the address cited was 3408 West Fourth Ave; residents reported frequent late‑night activity, noise that can continue into the early morning hours, vehicles without plates, and alleged improper disposal of vehicle fluids. Residents said they had made FOIA/record requests to KPD, KFD and code enforcement and had collected what they described as documentation of repeated calls and incidents.
Community relevance: The complainants identified immediate neighborhood impacts (blocked streets, noise), potential environmental impacts from automotive fluids, and possible public‑safety risks from blocked roadways and late‑night activity. The city manager said staff are engaged but no new enforcement outcome was announced at the meeting.
Votes at the meeting related to administrative business (not specific to the complaint) included unanimous council approval of the agenda and consent agenda earlier in the meeting.
