Richland homeowners worry about nearby wetlands. They want apartment project halted

Two south Richland neighborhoods are trying again to put a halt to a housing project near Amon Creek.

They say the planned 108-unit Willowbrook apartment complex will bring too much traffic to their streets and could harm the nearby Amon Creek Natural Preserve.

But after years of study, the engineering firms hired by Big Creek Land Co. have come back with pages of reports saying the project will not significantly impact the area.

A Richland hearing examiner will make the call on if the project can move forward after a Monday, June 13, hearing. It is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Richland City Hall Council chambers.

It’s the latest turn in a years-long battle between the Willowbrook and Meadow Springs homeowners associations and the developer 14 acres in south Richland.

The developer estimates it would take about a year to build the four apartment buildings, as well as a clubhouse, covered parking and landscaping.

The apartments will run the length of the property with a road connecting one end to Broadmoor Street and at the other to John Court. With it, it’s expected to add up to hundreds of car trips onto the neighboring streets.

It sits more than 150 feet away from the Amon Creek Natural Preserve, a trail system along the largest tributary to the Yakima River and features a mixtures of wetlands and shrub-steppe areas with many bird species and small wild animals.

Neighbors from both sides of the planned development have banded together in an attempt to fight the project, including a letter writing campaign, lawsuits, Facebook pages and a GoFundMe account looking to raise money for the fight.

While the hearings examiner decision would be the end for the city of Richland’s involvement in the process, there are lawsuits on hold waiting on the city’s decision.

The city has received hundreds of written complaints about the potential development, but also a few pointing out that the city needs more apartments to help ease some of the pressure on the housing market.

Neighbors complaints

The single-family neighborhoods and Meadow Springs golf course sit south of the intersection of Gage Boulevard and Leslie Road.

It’s part of a design that dates back to the late-1970s when the neighborhood was initially conceived by Richland planners, said Planning Manager Mike Stevens.

The overall density of the property can’t go higher than eight dwellings per acre. The Willowbrook apartments are allowed to have as many as 112 units on the 14 acres.

The potential traffic coming from the apartment complex is a big concern of Lisa Dukes. She moved into her home on Broadmoor Street in the early 2000s, and in recent years she sees drivers speeding through the residential streets as they head to Leslie Road.

She is concerned what danger hundreds of more car trips in a day would cause.

The homeowners association set up a radar sign to track how fast drivers were traveling through the area. And, she said, it’s not uncommon for drivers to speed up to 50 mph when driving uphill toward Leslie Road.

Also, the connection to Broadmoor narrows to 22 feet wide as it winds past properties. At least one of those turns would be 90 degrees as it heads down a steep hill.

She said that road design is inviting problems when people try to negotiate it in the winter.

Nature area

Many of the opponents are concerned that the development could harm the nearby Amon Creek Natural Preserve.

The preserve, which covers 70 acres and is owned by Richland, is home to more than 30 species of mammals, including mink, beaver, otter and black-tailed jack rabbit. The black-tailed jack rabbit is a Washington state species of concern because of its limited number.

Alex Sidles, the attorney for the Willowbrook Homeowners Association, argued that the developers didn’t provide enough information about the environmental impact to the area.

Even with the information available, Sidles said that the wetlands buffer is not large enough and there isn’t enough stormwater runoff mitigation.

Big Creek Reports

The Willowbrook developers, the Big Creek Land Co. provided the city with nearly 350 pages of reports that say the development won’t significantly impact the environment.

According to a report from Alpine Resources, the area isn’t normally a habitat for burrowing owls, and while there are signs of black-tailed jackrabbits, the habitat is better nearer to the wetlands.

“The proposed development plan has been specifically designed in consideration of on-site HCAs (Habitat Conservation Areas),” according to the report.

It’s impact on traffic in the area would be mitigated by about $119,000 in fees paid to the city.

Once the project is finished, the developers said there won’t be any major impact to the traffic.