LYNNWOOD – The popular old feed store might not have to close after all.
Arnold’s Hay and Grain has been granted a reprieve from an order by Snohomish County to move out of its location at 15827 35th Ave. W.
The store has violated zoning laws at the location since it moved there five years ago in what was planned at the time as a temporary measure.
Snohomish County Superior Court issued a summary judgment against Arnold’s in October, ordering the store to be off the premises by Jan. 10 or owners Dick and Corinne Balser would have to pay five years of accumulated fines totaling $363,000.
The Balsers have been working on a plan to move the store to a new site at 17410 Ash Way, and applied in November for a permit to build on the site. They did not believe they could build on the new site by the Jan. 10 deadline and said they did not want to close the store and reopen it. Both are in their 70s.
The Balsers asked Superior Court to reconsider its decision and extend the deadline, and were denied both times. They then filed appeals in Superior Court and the state Court of Appeals.
The Balsers and county prosecuting attorney Elizabeth Anderson on Jan. 6 agreed on a deadline of June 15.
In exchange, the Balsers will drop their appeals in both courts and will pay a $5,000 fine ordered by Superior Court Judge Linda Krese, according to court papers.
The two sides agreed the timeline was reasonable for the Balsers to grade the new site and put up a building that would allow the store to move without a gap in service.
“We’ve got everything going we can possibly think of to do,” Balser said of the plans to move. “They (the county) acknowledged we’ve been doing a lot of work and have made a good-faith effort to follow through.”
Anderson could not be reached for comment.
In addition to selling straw and feed for farm animals, Arnold’s runs a pet rescue operation and sells pet supplies. “We had to curtail a lot of our ordering, so we’ve run out of a lot of things,” Balser said.
He said he and his wife are grateful for the support they’ve received from customers, 1,108 of whom signed petitions opposing the county order for the store to move.
“We’re going to send out thank-you notes to a lot of our people,” Balser said.
Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.
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