Property annexed into City of Ephrata

EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council passed two ordinances at the April 17 meeting relating to annexing a small parcel of land into the city and changing its zoning designation.

The property involved is a 0.7-acre parcel owned by Sandoval Rentals LLC. The owner submitted the application in September 2023, the City Council reviewed the Annexation Petition in October and set a public hearing date to consider the request in November. 

During the process of reviewing the application, it was discovered there was a mapping error between the City of Ephrata and County Comprehensive Plans which meant the parcel did not have a Future Land Use Designation approved by the City. So the annexation proposal was tabled until a zone change was approved. 

In response, Sandoval Rentals LLC submitted a request for zone change at the end of November 2023, and after reviews, was given a public hearing at the end of January by the Ephrata Planning Commission. The Planning Commission made a recommendation to forward the zone change request to the City Council recommending approval by a unanimous vote. A second reading of the zone change request was heard at the April 17 City Council right before action was to be taken.

In the request for council action, the reason for the annexation included that the “small size of the property and its location limited potential use”. Annexing the property would allow

the land to be provided with city water and sewer services and also allow the property to have

direct access to the state highway through the two adjoining properties owned by the applicant because the parcel does not have frontage on a public street or highway.

“What are your intentions to do with the property?” Councilmember Beau Lamens asked Sandoval, who was present at the meeting.

Sandoval responded that in the future he wants to develop the land by putting some stick-built houses on the property or properties. He also explained that by bringing in the third parcel into the city, it makes future development cohesive with having to deal only with one entity, the City of Ephrata, rather than two (Grant County).

Conversation by the council included discussion about the zoning affecting the possibility of Sandoval possibly putting multi-family housing on the property, in which either the proposed zoning by the city or the zoning by the county would allow for that.

After the second reading, the council first voted on the zone change of the property and passed the ordinance with only one opposition from Lamens. 

After the passage of the zone change, the annexation ordinance for the property passed unanimously. 

Ephrata City Administrator Ray Towry said annexation is always initiated by the property owner and cannot be initiated by the city.

The process for annexing property into the city includes an application, review by the Planning Commission, public hearings and then a City Council vote — in which there is specific criteria for a yes or no vote, Towery said.

Towry also said that property rights are very important and due to the specific criteria for yes and no votes, there are very few instances for denial of annexation. The reason for annexation of property is commonly to connect to city services such as water and sewer services.

Rebecca Pettingill is a freelance writer and photographer based in Ephrata.