Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Residents press Pasco examiner to delay Desert Bloom zoning recommendation over traffic, notice and density concerns
Loading...
Summary
The City of Pasco hearings examiner heard hours of public comment July 9 on Desert Bloom LLC’s request to designate an 18.6‑acre annexation parcel R‑4, with residents, the county planning director and the applicant sharply divided over traffic, notice and density.
The City of Pasco hearings examiner heard hours of testimony July 9 on ZD2025‑001, Desert Bloom LLC’s request that an approximately 18.6‑acre parcel be zoned R‑4 as part of an annexation and subsequent zoning decision. City staff recommended R‑4 as consistent with the Broadmoor Overlay and the comprehensive‑plan designation of medium‑density residential (6–29 dwelling units per acre).
Ivan Barragan, planner II, told the examiner the Broadmoor Overlay establishes density and that R‑2, R‑3 or R‑4 are allowable in the overlay; staff recommended R‑4 for the Desert Bloom parcel. Barragan said the city determined the project was exempt from environmental review under WAC 197‑11‑800.
Cody Fielding, manager and owner of Desert Bloom LLC, said his development team intends to build single‑family detached lots ‘‘somewhere between 7 to 8 units per acre’’ and had sought R‑4 because it provides flexibility when laying out lots. ‘‘Our plan is to develop the property into single family lots used for detached housing with the intention of being on the very low end of the density spectrum, specifically somewhere between 7 to 8 units per acre,’’ Fielding said.
The applicant’s intent did not prevent extensive opposition testimony. Franklin County Planning and Building Director Wes McCart asked the examiner to continue the hearing until the property is formally annexed, arguing the county should have standing in the process. Dozens of nearby residents said they either did not receive mailed notice or received short notice; they raised repeated concerns about traffic and safety on Burns Road, potential declines in neighboring home values, and proximity to existing single‑family lots.
Specific concerns included current congestion near the Kohler and Burns intersections, limited right‑of‑way widths that residents said make Burns ill‑suited to absorb large additional traffic, and alleged gaps in public notice. Several residents requested the examiner continue the zoning recommendation until annexation and until the city can show planned infrastructure (new collectors such as Sandifer or Kohler) are in place or funded.
Examiner Jay Eyestone took under advisement requests to continue but did not immediately grant a continuance. He left the public record open for written comments through July 16 and provided the applicant until July 18 to file any written responses. The examiner said he generally aims to issue decisions within 10 working days after the record closes but may extend that timeline if necessary.
Staff’s written recommendation and the applicant’s testimony emphasize the Broadmoor Overlay’s stated density range and the city’s need to accommodate projected growth within the urban growth area. Opponents urged the city to use lower‑density zoning or conditions (for example, requiring Sandifer or Kohler as access prior to platting) and to require traffic mitigation measures or a binding density cap.
The examiner’s final recommendation to city council — required for annexation zoning — will incorporate the record, including the additional written comments filed before the July 16 deadline and any applicant response received by July 18.
