Moses Lake to consider annexation

MOSES LAKE — A request to annex about 84 acres into the Moses Lake city limits will be considered by city officials. Moses Lake City Council members agreed to allow evaluation of the application on a unanimous 4-0 vote at the regular meeting July 11.

Council member Mark Fancher recused himself from the presentation and the vote, saying one of the applicants is a business client.

“You are not deciding on whether or not to approve the actual annexation tonight,” said Community Development Director Kirsten Peterson. “You are just determining if the city will consider evaluating the proposed land area for annexation.”

The applicants are asking the city to annex land located east and west of Stratford Road between the existing city limits and Maple Drive. The original petition asked city officials to annex the property at 10117 NE Maple Dr., located between Stratford and Wenatchee Road to the east and Sagedale Road NE to the south.

Currently, the property is owned by Tom Cordell, according to Grant County’s Auditor’s Office website. Peterson said the property was in the process of being sold to Drew Scott, owner of CAD Homes, at the time the petition was received. Both Cordell and Scott signed the annexation petition. However, Peterson said the property didn’t qualify for annexation.

“It only has a corner touching the city limits,” she said. “It didn’t qualify for being contiguous with the city limits.”

The applicants then expanded the request to include property on the west side of Stratford, south of Maple Drive to the Columbia Basin Railroad tracks, between Stratford and Longview Elementary.

Council members had to decide whether or not to accept the application as presented or modify it, Peterson said.

If the city annexes the property under the current regulations, the land on the east side of Stratford would be zoned for single-family or two-family housing. It is unimproved at this time. The property between Longview Elementary and Stratford would be zoned general commercial, Peterson said.

Council member Dustin Swartz asked about the residences on the west side of Stratford since they would be in a commercial zone. Peterson said the zoning code will have some flexibility.

The council voted to accept the application, and Peterson said the next step will be a feasibility study.

“We would move forward with evaluating whether or not the city can serve them. Can we get all the utilities there?” she said.

Swartz asked if that section of the railroad was scheduled for replacement as part of the project to extend rail service to the Port of Moses Lake. City Engineer Richard Law said that section will be rebuilt, with the line changing course near Wenatchee Road.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.