The Willowbrook HOA Board is hard at work responding to the proposed multi-family apartment project to the east of Willowbrook. https://www.ci.richland.wa.us/home/showdocument?id=11484&fbclid=IwAR1q-89kZpyNAQQs5sj39Ap0stdvZwqV4URo1Y9H2sy7bjbBwP8XgCzt5YA
We have retained an attorney who has a focused practice defeating development applications like the one we are facing here. Our plan of attack has several elements:
1. Comment to the City in opposition to the proposed development focusing on the safety impacts on Piper Street, Broadmoor and Center from the increased traffic created by a 96-unit multi-family apartment complex. We have hired an independent traffic and safety engineer to critique the developer's traffic survey.
2. Comment to the City in opposition to the proposed development's violation of City code regarding zoning, street length, street width, minimum block width, etc.
3. Filing lawsuit(s) against the developer for project's violation of Willowbrook HOA Covenants inasmuch as the developer seeks to locate a secondary access road over one or more lots subject to Willowbrook HOA covenants restricting Willowbrook lots to single-family use only. In other words, it is a violation of the Willowbrook HOA covenants to use one or more Willowbrook lots for an access road to benefit a multi-family apartment complex.
4. Wetland buffer violations - Tapteal Greenway is taking the lead in this area, but the HOA is also hiring a Wetland biologist to provide independent comment and critique of the developer's proposed encroachment of the mandatory wetland buffer zone.
5. Rezoning petition - the HOA proposes going on the offensive and seeking rezoning of the property from medium-density back to low-density removing it from consideration for a multi-family development. This effort will begin as soon as the current application is defeated. We will begin to petition and lobby city council members to seek the majority votes required for a rezone. The property has insufficient access to arterial roadways to allow multi-family development and should be rezoned.
6. The Willowbrook HOA attorney will participate in the December hearing before the hearings examiner creating the record necessary for a successful judicial challenge to the application if the hearings examiner approves the development project.
7. Fundraising - we have already raised close to $18,000 for legal fees to fight this development through portions of Willowbrook HOA assessments set aside for this legal fight over the past two years. We need approximately $50,000 to cover legal expenses and fees to improve our chances of successfully defeating this proposal and reducing the future risk of a multi-family development at this location. My family has pledged $5,000 toward legal expenses to protect Willowbrook and the surrounding neighborhoods. We need additional, concerned residents to pledge money to build a war chest for legal expenses for this fight.
Please do the following:
Send comments in opposition to the development to:
Mike Stevens: mstevens@ci.richland.wa.us OR 625 Swift Blvd., MS-35, Richland, WA 99352
Comments must be RECEIVED by October 30th at 5:00 P.M.
Comments should include concerns about traffic, safety, and violations of City codes and zoning regulations.
Donate to the Willowbrook Legal Fund
There is a 2.9% fee plus .30 fee per transaction on the donations made through the GOFUNDME site, so if you'd prefer to write a check , make it out to Willowbrook HOA and note legal fund in the memo line. You can mail to PO BOX 602 Richland WA 99352 or mail/drop off at 217 Sitka Ct. If you'd rather donate to the site the link is
Christopher Childers
Willowbrook HOA President
