Kennewick council rezones two South Washington Street parcels to Commercial General

The Kennewick City Council on Feb. 4 adopted an ordinance to rezone two parcels at 1826 and 1838 South Washington Street from Commercial Office (CO) to Commercial General (CG). The change, requested by Knutson Engineering (care of Paul Knutson), drew extended council discussion about the intensity of future uses and whether a middle-ground Commercial Community (CC) designation would better protect nearby residences.

The rezoning affects a 1.23-acre corner site near Washington and Nineteenth streets that was annexed into Kennewick in 1979 and zoned in the 1990s. City staff told the council CG would allow about 37 additional uses not permitted in CO, including vehicle repair and service, construction yards, kennels (type B), plumbing shops/yards, warehousing/wholesale and truck stops; staff said some of those uses could create noise, odors or other nuisances for adjacent neighbors. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on Jan. 6, 2025, heard the property owner speak in favor, and recommended approval of the change.

Council discussion split on whether the rezoning would produce…