Kennewick votes to ease development rules to allow new Thompson Hill hotel and restaurant

The Kennewick City Council approved a comprehensive plan amendment that would ease restrictions to allow a proposed boutique hotel and restaurant to be built on top of Thompson Hill.

It also would allow apartments or multi-unit condos on the slopes below it, rather than restricting development there to single-family homes.

Neighbors of the project proposed by developer Jose Chavallo have fought the project for 2 1/2 years.

The vote Tuesday was split 5-2 along usual lines for the Kennewick council, with Mayor Bill McKay, Mayor Pro Tem Gretchen Crawford, Councilman Brad Beauchamp, Councilman John Trumbo and Councilman Loren Anderson approving the less restrictive land use.

Councilmen Chuck Torelli and Jim Millbauer voted against the change.

The city staff and Kennewick Planning Commission had recommended the council oppose the land use change.

“This is a sad day for the city of Kennewick,” said Bill Dixon, who represents the Panoramic Heights neighborhood. “Five of our council members have put the interests of one developer over the valid concerns of many existing residents.”

Neighbors oppose Thompson Hill plan

Previous councils have sided with neighbors of the south Kennewick project to oppose proposals for higher density housing and commercial developments on Thompson Hill for 15 years, he said.

Neighbors said it was inconsistent with the single-family homes bordering the site and would allow an island of commercial operations — a possible hotel and restaurant — in the center of residential neighborhoods.

The hotel and restaurant are planned for the top of the hill to take advantage of sweeping views of the Tri-Cities.

Opponents are concerned about increased traffic, both on South Sherman Street and traffic cutting through existing residential neighborhoods. As proposed now, traffic would enter and leave the development using Sherman Street.

Neighbors also are worried about noise and light pollution.

Almost 200 comments were sent to the city opposing the land use change and proposed project.

The 38 acres proposed for development has been restricted to low-density residential housing in the city’s comprehensive plan.

Change to Kennewick plan

The council agreed to change 4 acres at the top of Thompson Hill to high-density housing, a designation that allows hotels, and the remaining 34 acres, which are south of the Creekstone subdivision and just west of Panoramic Heights, to allow medium-density housing such as multi-unit condominiums.

In 2020, Chavallo proposed changing almost 41 acres to high-density residential, which the council, then with some different members, rejected.

Chavallo most recently has proposed to the council that the project including 360 housing units, up from about 200 allowed for low-density housing, and up to 88 hotel units at the top of Thompson Hill.

However, he is not legally bound to adhere to that plan, at least under the comprehensive land amendment change, according to the city’s attorney.

The high-density designation does not restrict the size of a hotel and the medium-density designation would allow hundreds more homes, apartments and condos than the estimate put forth previously, said senior planner Steve Donovan at a September public hearing on the proposed comprehensive plan change.

Overriding the staff’s recommendation required the council to come up with a justification for the change in the comprehensive plan.

Kennewick council disagrees

Some council members told staff during a workshop discussion a week earlier that more high density housing is needed in the Southridge area and citywide.

And they said more medium density housing will provide opportunities for housing into the future and that the Southridge area needs more hotels.

But Torelli argued at this week’s meeting that a boutique hotel and restaurant will not address the need for more high density housing and that the comprehensive plan has plenty of space designated for medium density housing.

He questioned whether the council member’s opinions were better informed than the city’s professional planning staff, which did a technical assessment.

But Anderson countered that the council’s job was not to just rubber stamp staff recommendations.

Beauchamp said that many people 55 and older are looking for housing that is not a single family home and has no yard to maintain, but not finding what they want available in Kennewick.

Millbauer argued that Chavallo knew that he was buying land when he purchased the low density residential lot for his proposed project.

But McKay said the council changes the comprehensive plan several times every year for other users.

Trumbo has said that development in south Kennewick is inevitable.

Next steps for Thompson Hill

Chavallo next must apply for a zoning change to high and medium density for his project, now that the city’s comprehensive plan has been amended.

That will require him to provide more specific plans and the council can place conditions on the zoning change.

That could allow some restrictions to be put in place to ease neighbor’s concerns, said some council members.

But plans for the project could still change in unforeseen ways, including if the property is sold before or after development, said other council members.

The council has some discretion on a decision on whether to change the comprehensive plan, but zoning decisions after the plan is amended could more easily be challenged legally, according to city staff.