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Richland council approves zoning amendment to align map with updated comprehensive plan
Summary
The Richland City Council voted unanimously March 4 to adopt Ordinance 2025-05, amending Title 23 of the Richland Municipal Code and updating the city's official zoning map to conform with recent comprehensive-plan amendments.
The Richland City Council unanimously approved Ordinance 2025-05 on March 4, amending Title 23 of the Richland Municipal Code and updating the city's official zoning map to conform to recent comprehensive-plan amendments.
Council member Joel Meyer moved to approve the ordinance, citing it as the companion to the comprehensive-plan amendments adopted earlier; the motion was seconded and passed by roll call. Mayor Richardson, Mayor Pro Tem Kent, Council members Luxon, Meyer, Van Dyke, Jones and Witten voted yes. No members voted no or abstained.
Council member Meyer said the zoning change is a companion piece to the comprehensive-plan update and noted the city has been working on related mapping and plan updates since the application process began. He referenced prior Planning Commission work that informed tonight’s actions.
Joanna (identified in the meeting transcript by her first name) spoke against a past pattern of rezoning commercial parcels to residential, arguing the change risks creating housing without nearby retail or services. "We're really providing more housing, so we're becoming more of a bedroom community, but we're taking away the ability to create community for those individuals," she said, adding that residents in rezoned areas may lack grocery stores and restaurants within convenient reach.
The ordinance implements specific parcel rezonings described in staff reports and makes the zoning map consistent with the comprehensive-plan amendments previously approved. City staff and councilors noted the Planning Commission considered related items in December 2022 and recommended follow-up changes to the commercial limited business zone for mixed-use options; that particular Planning Commission recommendation is not part of Ordinance 2025-05 and would require separate action.
The action updates the official zoning map and zoning regulations in Title 23; it does not itself create or fund new infrastructure or commercial development. The council did not attach additional direction to staff in tonight’s vote beyond the approval of the ordinance.
Votes at a glance: Ordinance 2025-05 — Approved (7–0).
