[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6518835,"mediaKeyId","5385593-b42d436385ff4df1f70a6ee64762322a","parentId",5385593,"title","Applicant asks to continue Villages at Clearwater Creek preliminary‑plat hearing; examiner continues to August","audioSeconds",207,"startMs",158000,"endMs",365000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5385593-b42d436385ff4df1f70a6ee64762322a&start=158&end=365","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5385593-b42d436385ff4df1f70a6ee64762322a/thumbnail_158000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6518835/Richland/Benton-County/Washington/Applicant-asks-to-continue-Villages-at-Clearwater-Creek-preliminaryplat-hearing-examiner-continues-to-August","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518835-1a6ab7acdc053a24433b948c681babbe/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140128&Signature=Wr742yZ0cFwjYr2Fkdfsvad0RUZWIxBqFcAYxbtJR5GrMY8SVhmNK-Ab2LFAjeoyKdXQtwRco90WdG~wEcmJm6kCcw8luxgqS6IxZAC99tZZi9lqtqN-tDY2vibC158kJSjOKA6e5LhGZT7opx81aTqIQ3V0lPGkTrMyLzPwBENkW0qY-gXbyiB3rWkrg9yskoJTIICE5KggWN3tc0ypR5SCNaVDr9-xfl5CVhNaask1bobx~8y4zsrE3BnlctK22K9AlmqIHXwv2l1ttfn-LLQlNRe1PgtRnSfqUrTf-xIAAXEMVr9rbgPA8aAaVA-8NwAnm7uKBAEvzMAx9l-bCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richland","date","2025-07-14T00:00:00Z","article","At the start of the evening the applicant representative for The Villages at Clearwater Creek (Hayden Homes; representative Brian Thorson) asked the hearing examiner to continue the preliminary plat hearing for file PLNT32025‑00003 so the applicant could work with the Kennewick Irrigation District (KID) on conditions of approval that KID had requested. Planning manager Mike Stevens confirmed the request and said no other members of the public were present to comment on that item. Hearing examiner Gary McLean opened the record and granted the continuance to the August hearing date; he said he would continue the item again to September if necessary unless the applicant submitted a written request that would permit him to issue a decision in writing.

McLean also advised the applicant to address a July letter from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and included that topic for the applicant’s follow‑up. The applicant said the goal was to be ready by the August hearing date and agreed to address both the KID comments and the state agency letter. No final action or vote occurred at the hearing because the matter was continued.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richland - Hearing Examiner - Jul 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The preliminary plat hearing for The Villages at Clearwater Creek was continued at the applicant’s request so the applicant can resolve irrigation‑district conditions and other agency comments.","taxTitle","Richland , Benton County, Washington","taxId",5097,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6518846,"Richland hearing examiner hears rezone and 74‑lot preliminary plat for Estates at White Bluffs; record left open for follow‑up",4805,1360000,6165000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5385593-b42d436385ff4df1f70a6ee64762322a&start=1360&end=6165","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5385593-b42d436385ff4df1f70a6ee64762322a/thumbnail_1360000.jpg","/articles/6518846/Richland/Benton-County/Washington/Richland-hearing-examiner-hears-rezone-and-74lot-preliminary-plat-for-Estates-at-White-Bluffs-record-left-open-for-followup","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518846-a04fa816f36068d7af4c50a60324580a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140128&Signature=F1kxMSjGpRLfhVoJ2o-5qsDrElkWgtNpAARSq2ctP~n0Bv4zP7RDskzfshBhwFv~eOJtaF~4zDJEMBnQA9JPLANEkiVXU5QwhxlChc07ITmfAGhw5BuCI5rmwZMgANTyhK03ro9CLN61iU73PNkDe-54QgbY~xa-osaOFU5dtgfnDKpaiUC94HIo9SbenFpjartXNEMmyAbJWbWH8N70cB5GT0v86saAmWQPy-wsXsu69hknl51hpwBwbvNSBGHd-2f3vQtw6TYvyv-4xRbqp63R0E9q6ZSRrJcvA8QmVCMT8hLVTo7tmB1peL2ggqI2nstoP5nHadwU4ECMtAzeBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gary McLean, the City of Richland hearing examiner, conducted an open‑record public hearing on a site‑specific rezone application and an associated preliminary plat for a development called the Estates at White Bluffs. The rezone request is to change roughly 29.2 acres from suburban agricultural to R‑1‑10 (single‑family residential, 10,000 sq. ft. average lots). The preliminary plat application, submitted by Story Family 5, LLC and represented by Nathan Machiella, seeks approval to divide the property into 74 residential lots and several tracts for infrastructure and open space.

Staff planning manager Mike Stevens told the examiner that the proposed R‑1‑10 zoning is consistent with the city’s low‑density residential comprehensive plan designation and recommended the rezone. Stevens urged that the rezone be considered before final action on the preliminary plat because the plat design assumes the R‑1‑10 standards. Stevens said agencies reviewed the project and that the applicant addressed prior Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife comments by hiring a biological consultant and proposing mitigation for shrub‑steppe habitat.

The applicant’s representative, Nathan Machiella, said surrounding properties are already R‑1‑10 and that the site is an infill parcel with stubbed utilities. Machiella and staff described the proposed plat layout (access to Jasper Street, Tomich Avenue and Saron Avenue) and said the applicant has dedicated a Tract C to preserve and expand shrub‑steppe habitat. Stevens and the applicant said the mitigation proposal follows the Department of Fish and Wildlife guidance by replacing impacted shrub‑steppe at a 2:1 ratio, and staff recommended extending monitoring to seven years to improve establishment success.

Several neighbors and nearby property owners spoke during public comment, raising traffic and public‑safety concerns. Speakers cited existing congestion and crashes near Saron Avenue and Kennedy Road, school access and pedestrian exposure near White Bluffs Elementary School, street pavement conditions on Kensington, and the potential for increased irrigation demand. Tony Adams and other neighbors asked the city and applicant to address traffic calming, off‑site pavement condition, and emergency egress during evacuation scenarios.

Daniel Tissell, engineering manager for Kennewick Irrigation District (KID), said KID had requested that the project comply with recommended conditions of approval in the staff packet and described recent drought‑related irrigation restrictions in the Yakima River basin. Tissell said KID serves more than about 26,000 customers and that adding 74 homes was unlikely, by itself, to trigger changes in district water restrictions tied to basin supply.

Stevens said the City of West Richland has sought proportionate SEPA mitigation fees from the applicant for improvements that would mitigate trips funneling to West Richland intersections (examples cited: a phase of Kennedy/Keane improvements and prior work at the Bombing Range light). The city’s traffic analysis found that Richland streets would continue to operate at acceptable service levels with the proposed development and so no additional off‑site improvements were required by Richland’s traffic staff; West Richland’s SEPA requests remain separate.

The applicant objected to condition of approval number 20, which would require the developer to contribute a proportionate share for construction of Cayuse Drive off the site (including curbs and sidewalks) and to deposit funds the city would retain and later disperse to a developer north of the site. Machiella said that Cayuse Drive is not proposed to serve the subdivision, that the portion falls outside the plat, and that the applicant is willing to dedicate right‑of‑way but not to pay for off‑site work that does not serve the project.

Hearing examiner McLean said he would leave the administrative record open to allow staff, public works, and the applicant to confer on condition 20 and on long‑term maintenance arrangements for the shrub‑steppe mitigation area. He set a deadline for the record to remain open until close of business on Monday the 20th (two‑week window), and said he would accept any revised proposed conditions or clarifications submitted in that period. McLean also reiterated that any written decision on the preliminary plat would be conditioned on city council approval of the rezone; the hearing examiner issues a recommendation on rezone requests and the council makes the final legislative decision.

The hearing closed for oral testimony after the record was left open; no final administrative decision was made at the hearing.","Gary McLean, the City of Richland hearing examiner, conducted an open‑record public hearing on a site‑specific rezone and an associated preliminary plat for a development called the Estates at White Bluffs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6518840,"Richland staff recommends approval of drive‑through cafe special use permit; record left open for condition language",827,484000,1311000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5385593-b42d436385ff4df1f70a6ee64762322a&start=484&end=1311","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5385593-b42d436385ff4df1f70a6ee64762322a/thumbnail_484000.jpg","/articles/6518840/Richland/Benton-County/Washington/Richland-staff-recommends-approval-of-drivethrough-cafe-special-use-permit-record-left-open-for-condition-language","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6518840-f5a2dcf0d77e30fb6c81d4a3879cbc4e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140128&Signature=Tep19Dmz9hQKgzwxE3~Rx5Uh5FcFt0gQt4PYs5CrpqlFJ2SYQ0kL~Ov5dCV6dWiMy5x5CbhYLba269QnPydNfpACshooks0P10i6pWKg-eVyg29ib~BovOva4PVGLG8oQVdP58mCRcH~xY2OMzu8XnZ3zXbtSrS7BZS2XoAXFH4enpwQntBJgEe3FRy7K5k-tXOxndoowPUJj~m18vIxcEnZFQAScJizYYzeaYS2KyE0m6h0Dks3L3gkOFe3KOoIE4aUDLhJajkZW7OKY6IY4pjBbsIIZWUprjMW2M7QJHGsExUoQQwBypd78laDjA-NASdKQfTsJ5dpSdbLzGG~gg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mike Stevens, planning manager for the City of Richland, presented a special use permit application for a proposed drive‑through cafe at 1312 Lee Boulevard. The permit was submitted by Shane O’Neil of Clover Planning and Zoning on behalf of property owner Greg Markel. Stevens said the proposed facility would be approximately 600 square feet, located in the Central Business District (CBD) and that Richland municipal code requires a special use permit for any drive‑through facility.

Stevens reported there were no public comments on the application. He recommended approval subject to a set of conditions of approval in the staff report but proposed three specific edits: strike condition 5 (removing parking along the Gothels Drive boundary) because the queuing lane makes those spaces unnecessary; strike condition 9 because the requested title‑report item already appears in the title report; and clarify or reword condition 8. Stevens asked the hearing examiner to keep the record open to allow staff to work with the applicant to reword condition 8 and other clarifications.

Applicant representative Shane O’Neil said he agreed with the recommended modified conditions and accepted the staff findings and recommendation of approval subject to final agreed language. O’Neil requested clarification on condition 6 (regarding an ambiguous parking deficiency reference), and asked staff and the applicant to resolve it offline; he agreed to staff’s Friday close‑of‑business deadline for finalized condition language.

Hearing examiner Gary McLean opened and closed the public comment portion with no public speakers and said he would hold the administrative record open until Friday close of business for agreed condition language. He asked staff to file a single strike/replace list showing which conditions were removed or modified and to CC the applicant.

No formal vote or final decision was issued at the hearing; the examiner will consider any revised conditions submitted by the Friday deadline before issuing any written decision required by code.","City planners recommended approval of a special use permit for a roughly 600‑sq. ft. drive‑through cafe at 1312 Lee Boulevard, subject to modified conditions. The hearing examiner kept the record open until the close of business on the coming Friday for final wording changes to conditions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Applicant asks to continue Villages at Clearwater Creek preliminary‑plat hearing; examiner continues to August

Richland hearing examiner hears rezone and 74‑lot preliminary plat for Estates at White Bluffs; record left open for follow‑up

Richland staff recommends approval of drive‑through cafe special use permit; record left open for condition language