By: Mike Fong & Laura Solis, Lower Valley Matters
At the June 23 Granger City Council meeting, the Council approved the first step to advance a potential new housing development at 808 E Avenue. The development, known as “Granger Heights,” is a 3-acre lot that the owners plan to sub-divide into 11 plots for future single-family houses or duplexes. The owners, Jorge Herrera and Jose Manuel Nuñez from Sunnyside, will need to build sidewalks, a cul-de-sac, and other infrastructure before they could apply for building permits. It is unclear when the project will get underway, but at the Council meeting, staff indicated the Council approval would give them 3 years to complete the infrastructure prep-work.
The Council Vote: The vote was 2 in favor (Councilmembers Susie Muñoz and Johnny Isiordia), 2 against (Councilmembers Judi Montes and Israel Bustamante), and 1 abstention (Councilmember Alfredo Reyes). When the vote is a tie, Mayor Hilda González gets to vote to break it, and she voted in favor.
Work Session: In a work session earlier in the day, Byron Gumms from the Yakima Valley Council of Governments provided a summary of the necessary reviews that took place to assess whether the proposed sub-division met various regulatory and land-use requirements. The action would approve higher density by creating lots that are ⅓ of an acre and an 8,000 square foot common area that would likely be a small park or playground. “Mr. Herrera… has gone above and beyond the requirements…this will be a nice addition to Granger,” said Gumms.
Gumms went on to explain that a sub-division is a two-part process. With the approval on June 23, Herrera has 3 years to install water, sewer, the roadway, and other elements. Once that is completed, the city inspects and confirms that everything is in compliance. At that time, the subdivision would come back to the Council again for “final plat approval.” If the City Council agrees, it is then officially recorded with the county auditor and the new plots would be ready for sale and development.
Gumms said that it was still too early for drawings of the development to be available. Mayor González noted that this action was only for “the land” and that “he’s not there yet” when it comes to the project design.
Councilmember Isiordia commented that he had attended an earlier public hearing where he “thanked Mr. Herrera for bringing in this project…if he can make homes, it’ll be beautiful too.” Herrera has indicated he will likely do duplexes but that could change and single family homes remain a possibility.
No further issues or any objections were raised during the work session and the issue proceeded to the Council meeting later that evening for a vote.
Council Debate: At the June 23rd Council meeting, Mayor González initiated roll-call on the vote for the sub-division proposal. Councilmember Reyes asked if the issue could be tabled for more discussion. In general, his concerns were focused on the risks of adding more residents and vehicles in the area given that pedestrians and kids walk to and from school for sporting events, noting that “it looks perfect on paper, but…that corner with the stop sign…it’s already heavy traffic with buses…and adding this is kind of the traffic…and accidents and kiddos walking out there.”
Mayor González responded that “affordable housing is something we need to consider and think about for our community,” noting that the state is mandating more density and infill housing development to help meet demand and alleviate increasing costs for homeownership and rental units. With those mandates for affordable housing and growth management, the city could be putting itself at risk of losing state grants and funds. She also suggested that traffic and pedestrian conflicts could be something the city and the school district could work on together to mitigate and find solutions.
Councilmember Isiordia added that he agreed with Councilmember Reyes that there were lots of vehicles and children in that area but that “one step leads to the next step” and “the lots…will lead to water, sewer and taxes to the city that will help our community.” He added that the city and schools should look for a safety grant to address the pedestrian issues.
Councilmember Reyes added that he is not opposed to the project, but wants to know what safety measures will be taken.
Of note, the land use analysis for the sub-division found no impact to the current traffic operations on E Avenue based on the current and projected volumes of people and cars that might come with the new development.
Towards the end of the debate, Councilmember Montes asked if the city could sustain the water and sewer capacity to add this level of housing growth. The Mayor responded that she believed Granger has capacity until 2040, and staff indicated there was enough water and treatment plant capacity to handle up to 200-300 more homes.
You can find a copy of the sub-division application here: https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/separ/Main/SEPA/Record.aspx?SEPANumber=202601279
You can watch the Granger City Council meeting where they discuss this issue online at https://reflect-midvalley.cablecast.tv/internetchannel/show/1043?site=4
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