Drafter
Clerk 11/06/2002
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AN ORDINANCE authorizing the sale of surplus county-owned property, known as the "Redmond Shop Site," located in council district 3, to the city of Redmond.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. King County department of transportation, road services division, owns a 2.96 acre property known as the "Redmond Shop Site." The property is located within the city of Redmond on Leary Way N.E., west of the Redmond Town Center.
B. The subject property is improved with six fairly deteriorated industrial buildings together with other miscellaneous structures. The property has been used by the county since 1928 for various activities including storage of equipment and supplies, office space for surveyors and inspectors, operation of a service station, and animal control activities with personnel and vehicles.
C. The road services division has relocated its operations and the property is now considered surplus to its needs.
D. Notices were sent to county departments and other governmental agencies regarding the county's plans to surplus and sell the property.
E. The city of Redmond has expressed an interest in purchasing the property in order to improve existing right of way within the property and to possibly use the property for open space purposes that will complement other trail/transportation corridors in the area.
F. The property is zoned CC-1, City Center Zone, Mixed Use/Retail. The CC-1 district provides for a full range of retail uses such as specialty and comparison shopping, eating and entertainment establishments, as well as general and professional services, and residential uses.
G. The subject property adjoins property to the south that contains a Heron nesting site (rookery). Because of the sensitive nature of the Heron rookery, no clearing, grading or construction of any kind can be done between February 15 and July 31 of any given year. Also, any improvement placed on the property must be limited to the type that generates little public in and out traffic during the course of a day. The city of Redmond regulates development of this property under the city's sensitive areas ordinance, and reports that the Heron rookery requires a three-hundred-fifty-foot buffer area which encumbers the county's property practically in its entirety leaving only two small portions of the property developable.
H. There is a platted but unbuilt road (162nd Ave. N.E.) on the property that effectively divides the property into two east/west parcels. There is also an unbuilt road on the north side of the property that adjoins the Burlington Northern railroad right-of-way. The city of Redmond has stated that it is highly unlikely that the vacation of the roads would be granted since the city's comprehensive plan calls for roadways at this location. Without the vacation of these roadways, development of this property is further limited.
I. To determine the extent of any contamination due to the prior industrial use of the property, an environmental audit was conducted.
J. The city of Redmond has agreed to pay King County the sum of one million five hundred seventy thousand dollars. In addition to the purchase price, the city has agreed to pay the estimated cost of five hundred thousand dollars for the remediation of the environmental conditions. In the event that the actual costs exceed five hundred thousand dollars, the purchase and sale agreement provides for King County to reimburse the city of Redmond for twenty-five percent of the city's actual costs of remediation in excess of five hundred thousand dollars but not to exceed a maximum reimbursement of twenty-five thousand dollars.
K. The county's staff appraisal values the property at one million five hundred thousand dollars based on the cost to clean-up the site contamination, the affect of the unopened road right of ways, and severe development restrictions due to the adjoining Heron rookery.
L. Although the subject property was previously identified as a candidate for affordable housing, the building restrictions that the city of Redmond intends to impose because of the adjoining Heron rookery and the existing road right-of-ways, make this site virtually impossible to develop.
M. The sale of this property to the city of Redmond is considered to be in the best interest of the citizens of King County and the city of Redmond.
N. Under K.C.C. 4.56.140, the county may dispose of county property to another governmental agency by negotiation, upon such terms as may be agreed upon and for such consideration as may be deemed by the county to be adequate.
SECTION 2. The King County executive is hereby authorized to execute the necessary documents to sell the following described property to the city of Redmond for the sum of one million five hundred seventy thousand dollars:
Tax Lot 26, Section 11, Township 25 North, Range 5 East, W.M.
The full legal description is Attachment A to this ordinance.
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