Residents urge council to enforce Rancho Estates covenants after proposed subdivision notice

Several residents of the Rancho Estates neighborhood addressed the Kennewick City Council during public comment on April 15 to oppose a proposed subdivision of a parcel at 5304 West Eighth Avenue.

Residents said the property owner’s proposal would divide an approximately 2‑acre lot into five separate lots and that the subdivision would violate recorded neighborhood covenants that require minimum street frontage and that no lot be subdivided to less than one‑half acre. Speakers asked the council to uphold the covenants by requiring the proposal be amended to conform to the covenants or by denying the proposal.

Speakers included Alyssa St. Hilaire, who identified herself as a Kennewick resident and said she had contacted the city planner listed on the public notice; Larry Gregory, who said he has lived in the neighborhood since 1990 and emphasized the expectation of one‑ to two‑acre lots; Gary Harvey, who said the proposal would change the neighborhood dynamic and cited a covenant minimum of one‑half acre (noting the proposal included lots down to about 10,000 square feet); and Nancy McClain, who described moving to the neighborhood for its space and wildlife and urged enforcement of the half‑acre minimum.

Ken Hahn, identified as a Kennewick resident and member of the Parks and Recreation Committee, also spoke on a separate item about trails and an Earth Day event.

What’s next: the public comment period closed at the end of the allotted time. No council action on the subdivision was recorded during the meeting; residents were advised to work with the city planner and the planning process. The planning commission/public‑hearing record and any formal land‑use application materials would govern subsequent action.

Sources: public comment at Kennewick City Council meeting, April 15, 2025. Quotations are from the public‑comment speakers as recorded in the meeting transcript.