The Board of Adjustment is a seven-member body consisting of residents of the City who are appointed by the Kennewick City Council.  The Board serves in a quasi-judicial capacity (like a panel of judges) to hear, decide and grant or deny variances to the requirements of Title 18, (Zoning), and Title 17 (Subdivisions), and to hear and decide upon appeals submitted with regard to administration of the Zoning Ordinance.  Decisions of the Board of Adjustment are final unless appealed to the Benton County Superior Court.

The Board’s primary responsibility is to hear and decide upon variance applications after holding public hearings.  Variances include deviations to the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance, but may not include “use variances” – to allow a use not permitted within the zoning district in which a property is located.   In order to grant a variance, The Board must make at least three findings regarding the variance request as required by the Zoning Ordinance and the RCW.  The three findings required for approval of a variance are that the variance is necessary due to special lot circumstances, that the variance will not constitute a grant of special privilege and that the variance will not be determined to the surrounding property owners.

Members