Matson Fruit's rezone hearing postponed one month

SELAH, Wash. -- Matson Fruit's controversial expansion plan will remain in limbo for another month after the Selah City Council had to postpone a rezone hearing.

The hearing was slated for Tuesday but had to be reset to Nov. 24 due to a procedural error in the way the hearing was advertised, city officials said.

The delay was just the latest setback for Matson, which has been battling the city of Selah for two years over
conflicting growing pains.

The fruit-packing company has been operating in Selah since the early 1930s and wants to expand onto adjacent property along North Railroad Avenue.

To expand, the company needs to rezone 8.43 acres for industrial use. The parcel is part of larger parcel of 14.83 acres the company purchased from Otis Vineyards.

However, the property lies within a commercial district the city helped develop and zoned for commercial use in 2002.

City officials say a rezone allowing packing and cold-storage warehouses would interfere with commercial and retail growth in the area, which in turn could affect the city's tax revenues.

Matson officials contend the expansion would be limited to a railroad corridor that isn't desirable for commercial use. They also say neighbors do not oppose the request.

In December 2007, the City Council went against a recommendation by Selah's Planning Commission to approve Matson's rezoning request by a vote of 4-1.

Matson sued and won a court order in May invalidating the City Council's decision after the city failed to produce a tape recording of an earlier hearing.

The court ordered the city to start over. Since then, the Planning Commission has twice reaffirmed its earlier recommendation to approve the rezone.

However, the Planning Commission's recommendation is not binding on the City Council, which has final say over zoning disputes.

* Chris Bristol can be reached at 509-577-7748 or at cbristol@yakimaherald.com