SEQUIM — The City Council in a split vote approved the $1.25 million purchase of a 22,000-square-foot property with existing buildings at the corner of North Sequim Avenue and West Cedar Street to go toward the future site of a new City Hall and Police Department.
The council arose from a half-hour closed executive session Monday night to discuss the land acquisition, passing it 5-1 in open session with Councilman Don Hall voting against it, saying he preferred another land acquisition option.
Councilman Bill Huizinga was ill and absent from Monday’s meeting.
The property is owned by Serenity House and includes commercial space for Serenity House and a hair salon and a 10-unit apartment complex for transitional housing.
The city’s purchase would in effect create public ownership of the entire block of the north side of West Cedar Street from North Second Avenue to North Sequim Avenue.
The city and Clallam Transit under an agreement share the Sequim Transit Center building where the City Council meets.
Under the agreement that has to go through escrow, the city would also lease the property to Serenity House for $1,500-a-month for three years so long as Serenity House pays for the insurance and maintenance.
“The plan would be is we would lease it back to them because we would not need it immediately,” Burkett said.
The property adjoins existing city-owned property on West Cedar Street, giving the city all the land it needs to build a new City Hall.
“I’m so excited about it I can hardly contain myself,” Mayor Ken Hays said, recalling the many years various city councils have discussed the option.
The city has been focusing hard on the land acquisition to consolidate its departments, which are scattered in rental properties at two other locations besides City Hall on West Cedar Street.
The council’s action came nearly a month after a city survey surprised council members with Sequim residents placing a low priority on a new City Hall.
Burkett said with land acquisition now committed, the city’s next move is to close the sale with the owner, design the new City Hall building and secure financing to do so.
While the city had more than enough budgeted — $2.25 million — to make the final land acquisition, estimates on total cost of the project have ranged from $12 million to $18 million.
The existing City Hall, which is now under remodeling to make existing space more efficient, has been at the same location for about 100 years.
The city now pays $193,000 in rent at the shopping center and for Public Works and Planning on North Fifth Avenue.
City offices now occupy about 20,000 square feet, 80 percent of which is rented, according to the city manager.
Burkett estimates the new City Hall and Police Department together would need to be about 40,000 square feet.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
