City Manager Halts Acquisition Process of Property Located at 7023 NE 175th Street

Kenmore, WA – The City of Kenmore has ceased efforts to acquire the property located at 7023 NE 175th Street for a city public works facility. City Manager Rob Karlinsey has withdrawn the offer to purchase the commercial property, and the potential condemnation ordinance will be withdrawn from City Council consideration.

Representatives of the property owners and others expressed opposition to the acquisition during recent Kenmore City Council meetings, citing the property owners’ long-term history in the area and their contributions to the community.

“We appreciate all of the feedback that we received from the public,” said Karlinsey. “We recognize the value this property has to the owners and the community—value that goes beyond the purely financial.”

The City brought public works services in-house in early 2019 and the public works crew currently operates out of a small temporary space that is inadequate to serve the public effectively and efficiently. Kenmore’s public works department operates and maintains all of the City’s essential infrastructure including streets, surface water, parks and facilities, and it is imperative that the City find an adequate, long-term site.

“We won’t give up on finding the right property for public works,” said Karlinsey. “The public works department provides vital environmental services as well as critical services to ensure Kenmore’s roads, parks, and city facilities are safe and well-maintained for the community. We often don’t recognize how important public works is until we have a problem with an icy street, flooding, or broken park equipment."

Given other competing policy priorities, the City will suspend formal efforts to find a property for the public works facility for the next several months, and will continue its search next year for an appropriate site for a public works facility. The City will likely make another attempt to find a willing seller and may send out a request for proposals citywide. For more information, visit the City's website.