Walla Walla City Council backs watershed protection, halts water system expansion plan
By Dan Thesman on Friday, September 25th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA — Responding to heavy public opposition, the Walla Walla City Council altered its expected action Wednesday night, choosing to split and partially approve a proposed $74,144 professional services contract with Consor Engineers.
Originally submitted as a single agenda item, the contract covered two distinct tasks: $46,000 to develop a watershed control program for Mill Creek and $28,000 to amend the city’s water system plan. The latter amendment aimed to incorporate the proposed MC Gateway development into the city’s water service area — a move that drew sharp criticism from several residents during public comments.
Opponents expressed concern over potential environmental impacts, strained water supplies, and ongoing drought conditions in the basin, urging the council to reject expanding the water service boundary. Critics also raised concerns about bundling the expansion with the watershed protection measure and questioned hiring Consor Engineers given previous controversy surrounding the firm’s public engagement process on a separate watershed plan.
Acknowledging the public’s concerns and noting that the water service expansion was not an immediate necessity, council members agreed to separate the two scopes of work. Councilmember Monte Willis moved to approve only the $46,000 portion of the contract dedicated to the state-mandated watershed control program, which passes under Resolution 2026-080.
The motion passed unanimously, effectively tabling the water system plan amendment and halting the service area expansion for the MC Gateway project until further review. City officials indicated that the water system plan amendment will undergo additional public workshops and formal review before any future council consideration. MC Gateway LLC has proposed transforming 355 acres on the city’s eastern edge near Highway 12 into a mixed-use development. If approved, the project will feature 670 single-family homes, a 150-room hotel, and 80,000 square feet of commercial and restaurant space. The plan also includes public parks, dedicated open spaces, an integrated trail system, and related infrastructure.
