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Richland hearing examiner to recommend rezoning of WSU-owned parcel housing Atkins Technology Center
Summary
At a June hearing, the Richland hearing examiner heard staff explain a rezone request to change a Washington State University–owned parcel that houses the Atkins Technology Center from 'parks and public facilities' to the UNIV (University) zoning district after a tenant applied for a modular-office building permit; no public comments were submitted and the examiner will forward a recommendation to city council.
Hearing examiner Gary McLean said he will recommend the City Council rezone a Washington State University–owned parcel that contains the Atkins Technology Center from the current parks-and-public-facilities designation to the UNIV (University) zoning district after a June hearing on the application.
Planner Chase Reed, who presented the staff report, identified the application as PLNT3A202600005 for parcel 123083013796003 and said the site is south of University Drive, west of George Washington Way, east of Salk Avenue and north of Hanford Street. "The purpose of this rezone is to bring the property into conformance with the City's zoning code and to align the zoning designation with the city's existing intended use," Reed said.
Ryan Nelson, who addressed the examiner from the lectern and whose formal affiliation was not stated on the record, said the rezone request arose after a tenant applied for building permit BLDCC024 to place a modular office building on the site. "When we asked them if they had permission from WSU, they recognized that they did not, and so they had got in contact with Washington State University," Nelson said, describing how the permit application prompted the rezoning process.
Mike Riztello, Development Services director, clarified the nature of on‑site activity, saying the group using the facility conducts civil engineering–related research and that the use is "congruent to what's going on at WSU Tri Cities." Reed told the examiner the parcel is owned by Washington State University and that staff is proposing the UNIV designation because university zoning allows research facilities and accessory buildings that the current designation does not explicitly permit.
No members of the public were present to offer comment, and Reed confirmed there were no new written comments beyond the staff report. McLean said the notice issues that had postponed an earlier hearing were cured as shown in the record and that he would issue his recommendation to the City Council as soon as possible. The hearing closed without a formal vote.
Next steps: McLean will transmit his recommendation to the City Council for their consideration; the council will receive the record and may schedule its own hearing or action according to its procedures.
