SEQUIM –– Centennial Place is now the name of the city’s newly purchased lot on the corner of Sequim Avenue and Washington Street.
City Council members agreed at the Monday night meeting that the lot, a former Gull service station purchased by the city in May, needed a new name.
But Councilwoman Genaveve Starr voted against the new tag, saying she wanted a contest to allow citizens to weigh in on the lot’s name.
City Manager Steve Burkett noted that nobody from the public attended the meeting or contacted the city about naming the lot.
“Maybe there’s not that much interest there, and they expect the City Council to do this job,” Burkett told Starr.
For now, the lot is empty.
Bakery Pane d’Amore is renovating a small building on the lot and plans to move there from its location on Fifth Avenue.
The city purchased the lot so it could have control over what develops at the city’s main intersection, Mayor Ken Hays said at the time of the purchase.
Now, he said, he has heard from some people in town that they would like to see the rest of the lot turned into a “grown-up park” where people could gather around chess or checkers tables.
The city has a dearth of places for teens, Hays said, and such a park could provide the city’s youths a venue.
Pavement plan
The council also Monday unanimously approved changes to a contract with Lakeside Industries that would have the firm put a thin overlay on West Maple and Prairie streets instead of chip-sealing.
Asphalt used for the project also was changed to a commercial quality, Public Works Director Paul Haines said, making the overlay affordable.
The change also reduced a cost overrun contingency fund for the project.
The contract with Lakeside, the sole bidder on the city’s 2013 pavement rehabilitation program, has increased $9,980 to a total of $241,560.
“So we can get what I think is a better product down on the roadway,” Haines said.
Councilwoman Candace Pratt, who expressed disappointment that only one firm bid on the job, praised both Haines and Lakeside for switching to the overlay from a chip-seal.
“I want to thank staff and Lakeside Industries for finding this creative solution,” Pratt said.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Joe Smillie can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or at jsmillie@peninsuladailynews.com.
