Public hearing set for possible Mattawa annexation

MATTAWA — The Mattawa City Council has scheduled a hearing for Oct. 1 to take public comment on a plan to annex property in the Wahluke Industrial Park into the Mattawa city limits.

Port of Mattawa director Lars Leland said the property consists of three separate lots, two with buildings on them, one still vacant. All three lots have city utilities.

Plans already are in the works for one building, which will house the pizza and sandwich shop Tiddaly Diddalys. The restaurant has grown to the point it needed a larger space, Leland said.

A second lot is vacant, but Leland said there are tentative plans for development. A final decision whether or not to move forward with development of that property is expected by the end of September, Leland said.

The third parcel is an existing warehouse. Its owner, Sun Hwang, requested annexation when owners of the adjoining lots announced they would request annexation. Hwang is a member of the Mattawa council and abstained when council members considered his request.

Mattawa Mayor Scott Hyndman said the landowners currently pay a surcharge on their utility bills because they are outside the city limits. If the property is annexed, the monthly utility revenue would go down but the city actually would receive more revenue in the long run due to increased property taxes, Hyndman said.

Council members will vote on the request sometime in October or November.