PORT TOWNSEND — A land swap approved by the state will give the city of Port Townsend 82 acres on the west edge of town for a commuity college, vocational school or some other type of development.
The Board of Natural Resources approved the deal on Tuesday.
When the final papers are signed, about 82 acres of state-owned trust land between the city’s western edge and Jacob Miller Road will be exchanged for 161 acres of forested, city-owned land near Snow Creek at the edge of Olympic National Forest, with the state paying Port Townsend $363,900 for the higher appraised value of the larger parcel it is receiving in the deal.
The city’s comprehensive plan has long eyed the 82-acre parcel as a potential site for a secondary educational facility such as a community college or vocational school, said City Manager David Timmons.
“The comprehensive plan sees it as a place for a secondary school, but that could change,” he said.
“If we want to use it for something else, and change the comprehensive plan, that is a two-year process.”
The next part of the process will be to annex the land into the city, Timmons said.
“But first we have to sign the closing documents, and that will be a couple of months at least.”
Timmons said there was the possibility of trading the land to the school district for the Mountain View Elementary campus, but noted that was only talk for now.
“I don’t see any [development] happening any time soon,” he said.
“But you never know, something could always pop up.”
The 161 acres of land given up by the city once served as the watershed for Port Townsend residents.
It has been abandoned for that use and sits surrounded by forested land owned by Resources.
“With this exchange and purchase, DNR can keep more land as working, productive forest,” said Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland in a written statement.
“In doing so, we help preserve habitat and assure long-term revenue for public school construction across the state.”
Timmons said that the both the future use of the land, and the $363,900 that will be paid to the city, are earmarked specifically for the city water district.
“It can’t be used to pay for the pool,” he said, referring to rising utility costs that could mean the city’s public pool could close, “and it can’t pave a street.
“The 160 acres was an asset of the water utility and any use of [what we got in return] must be used to defray the cost.”
Timmons said the money would go toward capital improvements to water district infrastructure and that, for now, the land would sit in reserve.
“For the land to be made surplus, the utility would first need to be made whole,” he said.
“It’s a utility asset, so the utility has to get money from it.”
Timmons said one possibility was that the district could lease the land if it were to be developed.
“It’s going to take some time,” he said, “Right now we will just wait and see.”
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com
