Pasco shaved ice vendor back in business after code amendment passed

A Pasco shaved ice vendor is back in business after city council members unanimously approved a change to spacing standards.

The owners of WE Ice were granted a temporary vendor permit on May 17, one day after the vote.

The business was not able to open in March for its third season because the trailer at 6403 Burden Blvd. sits about 370 feet away from a taco truck near Viera’s Bakery.

Pasco Municipal Code said itinerant vendors in the Interstate 182 overlay zone, which includes Burden, had to meet a 500-foot spacing requirement.

Owners Crystal and Robb Worcott and Sarah and Jeremiah Evans requested a code amendment so WE Ice would not have to move to a new spot in Richland.

Councilman Al Yenney said if dropping the requirement to 300 feet meant keeping a business in Pasco, he was in favor of it. He added that he felt 500 feet was extreme when the rest of the city is at 250 feet.

Mayor Matt Watkins added that in voting for the zoning modification, he was considering potential vendors down the road and whether or not the distance is appropriate.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Pasco shaved ice vendor back in business after code amendment passed."