More talk, more process and more waiting-to-see are on deck for Edmonds’ waterfront redevelopment project.
After another few hours of discussion May 27, few conclusions were reached.
Advocates of public ownership found support — “I believe the people of Edmonds want us to purchase this property one way or another,” council president Michael Plunkett said at the end of the evening — but the conclusion was far from unanimous.
For instance, immediately after Plunkett spoke, Councilmember Ron Wambolt said he was “not at all convinced that the people of Edmonds want us to purchase that property.”
Councilmember DJ Wilson said that politics would demand that any waterfront purchase be coupled with purchases in other parts of the city — he outlined a list of projects that could top $60 million. He advocated a survey to study the community’s willingness to pony up that much money.
“If the community wouldn’t support that cost, then we should skip the purchase discussion and move into master plan talks,” Wilson said. A master planning process wouldn’t necessarily require the city to purchase any land.
The discussion will see another day.
The scope seems to have narrowed, however, as the Port of Edmonds’ Harbor Square property no longer features in talks.
The old Skippers property, the current Department of Transportation parking lot, and the Antique Mall sites are the city’s top waterfront targets. The parcels are owned by Bob Gregg, the DOT and Al Dykes’ Edmonds Shopping Center Associates, respectively.
According to county tax rolls, the three properties are worth $12.1 million.
ESC’s piece is the most valuable, at $9.7 million. The Skippers property is assessed at $1.2 million as is the DOT portion.
It is unlikely the city could purchase the properties for those prices, however, city finance director Dan Clements said.
Before the city can take concrete steps, it needs to understand whether property owners are interested in acting cooperatively, said Councilmember Deanna Dawson.
Cooperation is the city’s best bet, she said. Condemnation, a topic which was freely discussed, would limit the future uses of the property.
“We would like to see something that pays for itself here – not just a park,” Dawson said. “That would be very difficult to get with a condemnation.”
Mayor Gary Haakenson and other city officials were scheduled to speak May 29 with the property owners, but that was after the Enterprise’s deadline.
As soon as the city talks to the property owners, it should decide what the possible uses of the property could be, city attorney Scott Snyder.
Although there was not a vote on the topic, two councilmembers — Dave Orvis and DJ Wilson — expressed interest in exploring an aquatics center, commercial space and open space for the site.
Reporter Chris Fyall: 425-673-6525 or cfyall@heraldnet.com
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