Richland approves agreement with Umatilla tribes for Columbia Point South

Richland plans to work closely with members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation on expansion of Columbia Point.

The city council approved a memorandum of understanding Tuesday for guidelines as the city moves on to building in areas south of Interstate 182, now a large grassy area at the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima rivers.

The agreement calls for Richland to notify the tribes any time it plans to build within a quarter mile of the river, up from 1,000 feet in a previous agreement.

“The Umatillas have a lot of interest in that area because of the cultural history and historical significance along the river,” said Kerwin Jensen, community development director.

The city had a rough relationship with the tribes during planning for what is now the Reach museum. In 2003, the tribes pulled out of a loose alliance for the project because of concerns over the site location on the east side of Columbia Point South, fearing it had potential to damage cultural resources.

City staff do not feel the tribes will do that again, said Brian Moore, redevelopment project specialist.

“We believe they overplayed their hand on that,” he said of the Reach experience. “I believe they have learned from that.”

Much of the council and staff will go Sept. 3 to the tribal headquarters near Pendleton to discuss the agreement.

Any development in Columbia Point South is several years away, Jensen said after the meeting. It is still not accessible by road, and would require approval from the state Department of Transportation to have access put in under the freeway.

The city is still considering what would be appropriate for developing in Columbia Point South, Jensen said, though it could be similar to the existing Columbia Point north of the freeway. That includes a mixture of park, hotel, restaurant and residential space.

“We’re going to go through a whole master plan of the area,” he said.

The memorandum of understanding is more of a “handshake agreement” with the tribes that ether side can back out of, rather than a binding contract, Moore said.

Still, some were concerned about whether the city can be held liable in case it was broken.

Also Tuesday, the council:

▪  Came to a 3-3 deadlock on a resolution that would eliminate term limits on city boards and committees that are not state mandated. Councilman Bob Thompson pointed to Hank Kosmata, a utility advisory committee member, who he estimates saved the city $150 million by avoiding staff advice to take part in costly projects.

Kosmata could be pushed out by term limits, Thompson said.

But Councilman Ed Revell, who was sworn in earlier in the meeting, worries about people serving too long on boards.

“I think term limits allow the council to prevent power from being consolidated,” he said.

It was unclear whether council could vote again on the item when absent Councilwoman Sandra Kent returns. The item was initially on the consent agenda, where several items are approved in one vote.

This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 10:04 PM with the headline "Richland approves agreement with Umatilla tribes for Columbia Point South."