Commissioners keep hearing open on Hansen property rezone after hours of testimony on fire, water and soils

Walla Walla County commissioners on Oct. 21 left open a public hearing on a proposal to amend the county comprehensive plan and rezone a roughly 41‑acre parcel owned by Stellus Homestead LLC from Primary Agriculture (PA‑40) to Rural Remote (RR‑40). The board voted 3‑0 to accept additional written comments through 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23.

County Community Development Director Lauren Prentice told the board the proposal would remove the parcel from the county’s designation as “agricultural land of long‑term commercial significance” under the Washington State Growth Management Act and that the application must meet both comprehensive‑plan and rezoning criteria. Prentice also noted a separate code‑compliance case involving the adjacent 5‑acre parcel (the site of an existing residence) and said any alleged violations on that parcel are being reviewed by the county.

The applicant’s representative, land‑use planner Shane O’Neil of Clover Planning & Zoning, presented aerial photos, a soils analysis and…