Tri-City Area and Real Estate Blog

Full Throttle Motorcycle in Kennewick and the Desert Thunder Motorcycle Group are sponsoring the third annual Ridin’ for Rover Poker Run to benefit the Benton Franklin Humane Society. The event will be April 25. Registration and check-in will be at 9a.m. at the Full Throttle parking lot at 135 Vista Way in Kennewick. The cost is $20 per rider and $15 per passenger, plus one pet care item from the Shelter’s Wish List at www.bfhs.com. Dairy Queen is donating lunches to all registered riders and the event’s finale stop will be at Dairy Queen at 91 Gage Blvd., in Richland.

The beauty of spring has been obvious in the last couple of weeks all over the Tri-Cities, and each morning as we drive to work many of us see it and rejoice in the season filled with light greens, pinks, yellows and reds. Gardeners have begun the ritual of trimming off the old and planting the new. Am I a gardener? No not really, but I am certainly am an enjoy-er of their efforts.  Tree lined streets like West 10th in Kennewick and its flowering pear and plum trees makes me smile all the way down the stretch. The beauty of dogwoods in yards, tulips, crocuses, forsythias and other plants bring color into our desert community and the smell of new mown grass brings delight to my senses.  Walking along the waterfront trail in Richland is also a delight in color and creatures with geese and ducks quacking long the paths.  Yes, spring has sprung here in the Tri Cities after a mild and delightful winter.  Don’t let this wonderful season pass you by – stop and enjoy the beauty of all that surrounds us in the Mid Columbia region.

The southern side of Badger Mountain is going to be home to a 5,000 home development after the land is annexed into the city. The first phase of the development was approved recently which allows for 78 homes on 70 acres and over the course of the next 20 years, it is believed that the majority of the 2,000 acres will be developed into a medium-density development with homes available in several price ranges, plus some areas of commerical development. This has been a long time coming with several investors and ideas that included a golf course community, however that golf course idea has been scraped at this point.  These homes would have easy freeway access for those who work in the Hanford areas, plus shopping centers.

City council members from both Kennewick and Richland are in agreement that the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center would be a wonderful addition to the west end of Columbia Park, however there are concerns about the money to make it a reality.  Development of the west end of the park have long been debated, with alternatives for both commerical development and keeping it as a public park with improvements visualized.  The public would like to have a more useable park atmosphere, while planners & developers for both cities wanted more options for commerical use. When the option to add the Reach Center was proposed, it seemed like a perfect fit. The final decision lies in the hands of the Corps of Engineers and potentially could be approved next week.  Let’s keep our fingers cross that the Reach Center finds a new home in Columbia Park and that all parties involved can find a middle ground on the issue.

Ahhh, the arrival of spring in all its glory has reached the Tri Cities, and with it comes the beauty of trees and plants in bloom and tons of sunshine! As this writer drove into work today in Kennewick, my day was instantly brightend with the incredible colors that I drove past, so much so that I made  a U-turn, pulled out my camera a snapped several photos of different trees, bushes and plants I saw. I guess its a good thing I was actually ahead of my usual rushed schedule each morning.  It good to stop and smell the roses on occasion – or in my case, stop and snap a few photos.  I have lived many beautiful places across this country and seen many lovely communities, as have many of you. Sometimes I wonder about my decision to return to the Tri Cities after being away so long. Yet I find that we have so much to offer here weather-wise, activities-wise, employment and job growth-wise, and each time I stop and think about why I’m here, I find that with all those other things aside, just having the opportunity to enjoy such simple beauty each day feeds into the easy pace of life here.   Come join us here in the beautiful Tri-Cities region where there is so much to do and see…………..or not, if you so choose.

Mark your calendars for April 10th & 11th this year – if you are in the market for a new home,  the Tri City Association of Realtors is sponsoring an Open House weekend in conjunction with the Realtors National Open House Weekend. The homes will be open somewhere in the timeframe of 11 a.m until 4 pm on both days. Last year’s event was a success with over 170 homes holding Open House events. Homes will be throughout Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland.