WinCo case moved to mid-April

MOSES LAKE — A Grant County Superior Court judge has pushed back the motion to dismiss hearing in the legal battle surrounding a WinCo Foods grocery outlet’s intention to locate in Moses Lake until April.

Attorneys for the city, WinCo and A Stronger Moses Lake met in court on Friday to argue the motion to dismiss filed by WinCo attorney Jon Sitkin and Moses Lake city attorney James Carmody.

Grant County Superior Court Judge John Antosz said the time frame was not conducive to his schedule and he wouldn’t be able to split the hearing between Friday and a future date.

The case is scheduled for the second week of next month, possibly April 11 and April 13. If the judge decides to allow the case to proceed after the initial hearing, a hearing concerning whether the planning commission’s decision should be changed is scheduled for May 27.

A Stronger Moses Lake, Donna Anderson and Peggy Vines are asking the Grant County Superior Court to rule the planning commission made the wrong decision by upholding a city decision allowing the project to move forward without any more study.

A Stronger Moses Lake requested the company complete an Environmental Impact Statement addressing the issues raised about the amount of traffic the project may generate, the potential dangers for pedestrians and bicyclists, and whether the city notified people about the project properly.

— Staff Report