Doziers drop water bottling code amendment request

WAITSBURG – Waitsburg-area farmers Perry and Darleen Dozier have withdrawn their request for a text code amendment that would make water bottling operations a permitted use in all resource and agricultural districts in Walla Walla County. The proposal was hotly debated in the county but Doziers say pushback was not a factor in the decision.

The text amendment, which was on the County’s 2018 Annual Docket of Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations, was withdrawn on Wed., March 6, according to Walla Walla County Principal Planner Lauren Prentice, who said there will be no further review of the application.

“At this time, we are terminating our request for the text code amendment with regards to land use ZCA17-003. We have become more diversified in our irrigated cropping, thus our business plan has changed since requesting a text code amendment for land use, and we will not currently be pursuing a change in our water right usage.  With that in mind, we feel it would be in the best interest of the county to not have to consider a decision on this land use issue without valid pursuit of this endeavor by us,” Perry said in an email to The Times.

The Doziers originally proposed pumping water from a deep well on their property – for which they own water rights – for a private water bottling operation. The request would not have changed how much water the Doziers could withdraw and the Washington State Department of Ecology would have had to approve conversion of some of their allowed irrigation water to be used for bottled water.

In February of 2018, the Walla Walla Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend denial of the Doziers’ request. However, in March of last year, the Walla Walla Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with the application and include the request in the Comprehensive Plan Docket.

“While we are mindful of local citizen pushback on this change in land use; that was not a deterrent in our decision in how we choose to utilize our water rights.  We have high regards for our county commissioners and the decisions they make regarding land use in Walla Walla County and appreciate the time and effort the county staff has put forth with regards to our request,” said Perry, who served as a Walla Walla County Commissioner from 2009-2016.