Divided council rejects spending $1.4M for new west Pasco overpass land
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Pasco City Council voted 4-2 to reject a $1.4M land deal for Road 108 overpass.
- City may explore buying a smaller parcel after consulting engineers on overpass needs.
- Overpass aims to ease traffic and support west Pasco retail and residential growth.
In a split vote, the Pasco City Council rejected buying a $1.4 million piece of land for a new Road 108 overpass in west Pasco.
Some of the council hope to buy a smaller portion of the property.
The overpass is expected to improve access to the rapidly growing west Pasco area and to ease congestion at the current overpasses at Road 68 and Road 100.
The overpass would connect the Broadmoor shopping area to residential neighborhoods to the south and east. It would connect from Chapel Hill Boulevard to Harris Road, passing over Interstate 182.
The council voted 4-2 against the purchase on Monday night, with council members Melissa Blasdel, Charles Grimm, Peter Harpster and Leo Perales opposed.
Mayor Pete Serrano and Mayor Pro Tem David Milne voted to buy the land. Councilwoman Blanche Barajas was absent.
Council decision
The property is on a critical four acres for the project. The city says that the west side of the parcel is the most and, possibly only, viable option for the Road 108 overpass.
But some on the council felt that the city should hold off and buy a smaller parcel.
“I think it would be foolish to spend almost $1.4 million on what may or could happen,” said Councilman Peter Harpster.
He recommended buying 30,000 square feet of the property and said that the seller, Gage Properties LLC, should be responsible for dividing the parcel.
“Once we have some preliminary engineering done, I would feel much more comfortable spending this amount of money on this purchase,” Harpster said. “We’re paying ‘apartment dirt’ rates and we don’t have any intention of building apartments there.”
After the vote, Interim City Manager Dave Zabell suggested the city consult with engineers to get a better sense of how much land is absolutely necessary to build the overpass.
City staff raised concerns that private developers have expressed interest in the land and could snap it up for their projects.
It’s a parcel that the owner once floated as an option for the aquatic center, which is now being built in the Broadmoor area.
Road 108 overpass
The city plans to build the overpass with money from the I-182 Corridor Traffic Impact fund.
Transportation impact fees, which are paid when applying for permits, would fund the project. The overpass is one of 20 projects approved by the city recently to receive the impact money.
Richa Sigdel, Pasco’s deputy city manager, has been the point person on the west Pasco’s Broadmoor project.
The city sold bonds in 2024 and has used the money to invest in a $7 million Road 100-I-182 interchange update, utilities and the ongoing construction of roads in the Broadmoor area.
The utility work is mostly complete. Road 108 will fully connect Burns and Harris by next spring. That’s key, she previously told the Tri-City Herald.
The area is prime for major retail. A Northwest shopping center developer with a background that includes building Portland’s IKEA-anchored Cascade Station is looking to make his mark in west Pasco.
Earlier this month, Fred Bruning, founder and CEO of Elevated Property Co., confirmed his development company signed a letter of intent to buy vacant land bordering Broadmoor Boulevard from Broadmoor Properties LLC, owned by Kathy and Dale Adams.
A letter of intent signals an interest in buying property for development. It can lay out terms, but it is not binding, does not guarantee a sale will take place and does not include specific tenants.
This story was originally published June 23, 2025 at 4:58 PM.
