Wrong mailing list restarts Richland’s rezoning of 1842 Jadwin Ave.

The city of Richland failed to notify property owners adjacent to 1842 Jadwin Ave. of the planned rezoning of the 3.9 acres. Instead the city notified residents on Harris Street. 

“We messed up,” Richland City Manager Jon Amundson told the Observer Monday.

The process will start over beginning with another notice in the Tri-City Herald, Amundson said.

The Observer noticed something odd while going through the March 15 Richland City Council meeting agenda packet. Residents who live near the riverfront in north Richland, over a mile from the property at the corner of Jadwin Ave. and McMurray St., were listed as notified of the zoning change.

“Our office accidentally grabbed a mailing list for a previous notification for a variance in that neighborhood,” Development Services Director Kerwin Jensen told the Observer. 

Jensen said the city hopes to run the newspaper announcement, notify adjacent property owners, and have the matter before the hearing examiner again in April.

At the March 15 meeting, no one commented on the public hearing for the rezoning from neighborhood retail business (C-1) to limited business (C-LB) zoning. Property owner Greg Markel had requested the change because, according to the city records, he had been unable to market the property as a convenience store, gas station, restaurant or grocery store that was allowed under the C-1 zoning. The C-LB zoning allows apartments and offices.

The city council voted unanimously to approve the change not knowing of the error. Mayor Michael Alvarez said, “I’m always, you know, very positive on the highest and best use…I’m glad that they decided to change instead of just seeing a lot of weeds there.”

The council will have another public hearing and vote again on the rezone after the hearing examiner completes his re-hearing.