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Pasco staff recommends metered, site-plan approach for industrial/commercial water-rights dedication
Summary
City staff proposed a two-track change to how commercial and industrial developments dedicate water rights at time of development: a site-plan-based, metered dedication with deed restrictions and an alternate formula track for predictability; council generally favored offering both tracks and asked staff to draft an ordinance.
City planning staff presented proposed revisions to Pasco's water-rights dedication policy for commercial and industrial development, recommending a two-track approach that aims to balance economic development with water conservation and enforceability.
Planner Miss Sigdel told council the current approach extrapolates a residential formula (assumes roughly 50% of a lot is irrigated) and does not reflect the heavier pavement and parking typical of industrial and many commercial sites. "Our recommendation is to establish both track one and two and require a deed restriction," she said, describing a preferred site-plan-based option that meters actual irrigated acreage and attaches a restriction, conservation easement or service contract to the property.
Under the staff-recommended site-plan track, irrigation lines would be metered and deed restrictions or conservation easements would limit future irrigated area; zeroscaped properties could qualify for reduced dedication obligations if certified. Staff warned monitoring and enforcement would require additional staff time and careful triggers to identify violations or redevelopment that expands irrigated areas.
Council members supported the site-plan approach while raising concerns about predictability and the burden of enforcement. Council Member Cotta suggested a simplified acreage-based track as an alternative for predictability; others urged careful verification to prevent developers understating irrigated area to reduce dedication obligations. Staff will return with ordinance language and implementation details.
No formal vote was taken at the workshop; council provided direction for staff to advance an ordinance that incorporates both tracks and the metering requirement.
