Kent City Council considers selling Naden property near downtown

Kent city officials are considering selling about 7 acres along Naden Avenue near downtown for development after dropping plans six years ago to build an aquatics center at the site.

The land marks the first to fall under the city’s recently adopted surplus property policy as an effort to notify residents whenever it considers selling property and to hold a hearing for public comment. The City Council authorized on Tuesday consideration to sell the property. A date for a public hearing has yet to be set.

The 21 parcels, generally bordered by West Meeker Street, the Interurban Trail, Willis Street and Highway 167, are collectively known as the Naden property.

“If we want to consider to surplus properties, this sets up staff to do due diligence around the properties and reaching out to the public for getting some feedback about the surplus of the properties,” said City Parks Director Jeff Watling said at a June 16 council’s Parks Committee meeting. “We would come back in the future to the council about whether to surplus it, this is a motion for consideration….the intent is to make public acknowledgment that this property is even being considered for surplus.”

The council in May approved the new policy to avoid another Pine Tree Park fiasco, an expensive and embarrassing decision where the council voted to sell the neighborhood park for $2 million to a housing developer in September without any notice to residents. Park neighbors later found out about the sale and successfully fought to save the park when the council reversed its sale decision in April. That decision cost the city about $800,000 to settle up with the developer for ending the sale agreement.

The city started to purchase property near Naden Avenue in 2006 with plans to build an aquatic center to replace the aging Kent-Meridian pool, Watling said.

“Then came fall 2008 and the recession, and it became clear for a number of reasons, recession related and the long-term costs of an aquatic center that it would become difficult to build at best,” Watling said.

City staff considered an 80,000-square foot facility to be built west of downtown on the Naden property. Estimated at a cost of $48 million, the facility would have had a 25-meter competitive lap pool, a leisure pool, a therapy pool, a gym with an elevated track, a small fitness room and party rooms.

City officials are now working with the YMCA to potentially build a facility on the East Hill near the city’s Morrill Meadows Park.

“It’s not that we don’t want a swimming pool,” said Councilwoman Brenda Fincher, chair of the Parks Committee. “Hopefully, a pool will be up the hill as part of the YMCA process.”

Watling said he didn’t know how much the city has paid for the Naden property over the years but that information will be released as part of the public outreach. He said if the property is sold, any proceeds would first go to pay off debt for buying the land.

Kurt Hanson, city economic development deputy director, told the Parks Committee that staff will get an appraisal for the property as part of the next phase as well.

“This is to get the ball rolling for an appraisal and public hearing,” Fincher said.

If the council decides to sell the property to a developer, Hanson said a hotel might be one option.

“It’s a pretty good opportunity to be a gateway and front door to our downtown,” Hanson said. “Zoning is downtown commercial enterprise. It’s our most flexible zone, urban in character, unlimited density, lot of units per acre and with unlimited height.”

He said the property could be a quality development to tie in with Kent Station and the ShoWare Center.

David Galazin, assistant city attorney, told the committee the Naden property will be a good test for the city’s policy.

“The new surplus property ordinance is to make sure we get adequate public notice and involvement,” Galazin said. “This would be the poster child for it. We think we know how it will work but it’s the first time using it so there may be a learning curve.”