Moses Lake approves landscaping plan

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake staff recommended adding trees to block the view of the city's operation facility.

The recommendations come after residents living near the Road 4 facility complained about noise, dust and the smell coming from the area.

"The advantage of the additional screening is that the neighbors will not see inside the facility," Municipal Services Director Gary Harer wrote. "The disadvantage is that the screening will impact the security since the police and others will not be able to see into the facility and the vandals know it."

Police Chief Dean Mitchell suggested additional security measures such as lighting, security cameras or open areas in the hedge.

Harer said staff came up with a plan of planting junipers between the existing pine trees. They discussed the plan with Roland Gonzales, the parks and recreation superintendent.

"He came up with, as far as landscaping goes, a better screening," he said.

Jennie Sloane, a resident living across from the facility, suggested installing a wall rather than more shrubs, saying the noise from the machinery is her primary concern.

She pointed to the city's code governing industrial zones, saying the area seems to be an industrial zone even if it's zoned as public use.

"If you're out there and you see the kind of equipment and the use it is, to me that's a light industrial," Sloane said. "The planning commission may allow or require (plants), screens, fences, walls or sound deadening walls, berms or any combination."

Community Development Director Gilbert Alvarado said everything Sloane read from the code would be accurate if the area was an industrial or light-industrial zone.

"This is public, it's not the same," he said. "Our general land-use designation for this is public. It's not industrial. It's not light industrial."

Alvarado said the equipment doesn't determine whether it should be zoned industrial or light industrial.

"We have other land uses, for example, within the city limits that have heavy equipment, which are not industrial or light industrial. They're in a commercial zone," he said. "I guess if one were to ask, 'Geez, what is this the closest to?' Then you would be most likely closest to that commercial designation."

Sloane replied whether it is industrial or commercial, she felt a significant buffer needed to be installed at the facility. She showed a photo of a boarded up home near a public works facility in Pasco.

"What remains of the neighborhood is a skeleton of a neighborhood," she said. "It's boarded up ... This is what happens to neighborhoods that are adjacent to this kind of use. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out."

She doesn't want the same thing to happen to her neighborhood. She urged the council to think about the impact the plan is having on the neighborhood.

The resident continued, saying she understood the trees being proposed were spruce. She asked how long it would take for them to grow.

"It's difficult to buy a large spruce tree and be successful in getting it healthy and growing," Gonzales answered. "Our hope is to find an 8-foot spruce tree and place it and put a couple of weeping spruce trees next to it ... It might satisfy some of your needs as far as full screening, I would say, within a five-year period."

Gonzales said varying the type of trees will provide a better looking visual barrier for the facility.

Sloane was concerned about the length of time it would take to grow the trees, saying she's been living with the facility for four years and now she'll have to wait another five years for it to be completely covered.

"This does nothing about the noise," she said. "I don't know what the answer is, short of relocating."

After Sloane suggested installing a sound wall, Harer pointed out the landscaping will cost tens of thousands of dollars. A sound wall would cost at least 10 times as much.

Councilmember Bill Ecret asked Sloane if she contacted city staff members about the noise, pointing out councilmembers and staff suggested it at a previous city council meeting.

Sloane said she hadn't contacted staff when it was a problem.

Councilmember Karen Liebrecht asked whether staff considered using rocket junipers to create a solid hedge, saying they are fast growing, resilient and hardy.

"I'm trying to meet her needs and have a nice facility," Gonzales said. "The hedges with the way the irrigation is and having a straight bark area, where the junipers are, would create not much difference than the design I would like to use."

The rapid change in temperature this winter killed many junipers and other evergreens, he said; adding the spruce trees seem to fare better.

Councilmember Dick Deane asked if the city could put something in now, which could be removed when the trees are fully grown.

"I wouldn't want to go that route," Gonzales answered. "I don't know if there are any fast-growing evergreens. So if you're looking at an ornamental tree, a shade tree that grows fast, you're going to experience a root system that is very aggressive as well. So you're going to get one thing, but create a problem down the road."

Gonzales said the screen will block about 80 to 90 percent of the view during the first year.

"Other than the height, 8 feet and below, I think we're going to be about 85 percent to 95 percent covered," he said.

The city council approved Gonzales' plan.

Councilmember David Curnel opposed the plan, saying it won't deal with the noise issue.