West Richland’s council made data centers a permitted use in February 2025. The Planning Commission hearing ran five minutes and the council hearing one minute, with no public comment at either. Bloom moved and Smart seconded, all seven council members were present, and the posted copy carries Mayor Brent Gerry’s signature line.
West Richland’s council made data centers a permitted use in February 2025. The Planning Commission hearing ran five minutes and the council hearing one minute; both agendas were posted ahead of time and no member of the public spoke. Bloom moved and Smart seconded, all seven members were present, and Mayor Brent Gerry signed. Community…
Corrections and updates, October 2026 For “The […]
In Washington, the state Department of Ecology (Ecology) decides who may pump groundwater beyond 5,000 gallons a day. A new permit can’t take water that impairs an older right, and the state Supreme Court has held that even small impairment is not allowed. If a city sells the water instead, the city’s own water right…
Data centers run cooling fans, chillers and transformers around the clock, and test diesel backup generators on a schedule. At the property line, measured levels usually fall between about 40 and 65 A-weighted decibels (dBA), according to a Virginia state audit and county records. Most local limits for homes sit at 55 to 60 dBA.
No data center application has been filed in West Richland, but the decisions that would let one be built without another council vote are already made. On February 18, 2025 the council unanimously made data centers a permitted use in two zones at the request of landowner Frank Tiegs LLC, after a one-minute public hearing…
The choker curbs on Queensgate Drive (Shockley Rd–Summit St, built June–Aug 2026) were selected and approved by appointed City of Richland staff — not by a City Council vote on that project. The decision ran through the Neighborhood Traffic Safety (NTS) Program: a resident petition, staff scoring, a neighborhood ballot, then staff design and construction,…