Public warns Richland council moratorium won’t block court‑ordered placements of less‑restrictive facilities

The Richland City Council opened a public hearing on April 7 to receive comment on a six‑month moratorium the council adopted on March 3 to pause the siting of less‑restrictive alternative (LRA) facilities while staff updates development regulations.

Katie Perry, a Kennewick resident and board member of Save Our Children Tri Cities, told the council the moratorium may create a false sense of security. “A moratorium, unfortunately, is not a shield against an LRA,” Perry said, citing state law and identifying RCW 71.09 as the statute governing placements. She warned that certain court‑ordered placements can occur under state authority and are not processed through ordinary city permit workflows.

Doug Fearing, who said he and his neighborhood recently opposed a proposed LRA in Kennewick, praised Richland’s proactive action and offered to share lessons learned from his community’s experience. Both speakers urged clarity about what local regulations can and cannot control.

Deputy City Manager Joe Shishel and Clerk Rogers explained the moratorium’s purpose: to pause new site approvals and applications for LRA‑type facilities while the city reviews its development regulations to address compatibility and life‑safety concerns. Shishel said the moratorium was adopted March 3 as Resolution 2026‑30 and was intended to buy time for deliberate, legally compliant regulatory updates.

The hearing closed at 07:13 with no formal council action taken at the meeting; the moratorium remains in effect under the March 3 resolution while staff evaluates regulatory options.

Public commenters and staff emphasized that state law — not local permits — controls some placements, and urged the city to communicate the moratorium’s limits clearly to residents.