What’s next for library?
November 18, 2008
By Ari Cetron
Bond’s failure could leave prime location open
The bond’s failure puts the library’s future into question.
Anybody want to buy a library?
With the defeat of the parks bond Nov. 4, the future of the existing Sammamish Library has become cloudy.The bond included funding to turn the library into a community center — to purchase the building, and renovate and expand it. The Boys & Girls Club would have operated the new center.
But with that off the table, a prime piece of real estate is set to become vacant, likely in 2010.
At present, the King County Library System plans to put the facility on the auction block, said library spokeswoman Julie Williams.
A new library, set to break ground Dec. 4 and open in 2010, is projected to cost $16.9 million. The system plans to sell the existing building to help fund that construction.
Williams noted that the real estate market downturn may complicate when to put it on the market, and the library board has not yet made that decision.
The current library site is about 2 acres, zoned for residential at 12 houses per acre. The site does not have any unusual constraints on it, said Kamuron Gurol, director of development for Sammamish, so the simple math could work.
“Probably, they could get the 24 units there,” he said.
That would likely mean townhouses, apartments or group residences, such as a senior facility, he said.
Gurol noted that if a developer were to take advantage of other incentives the city offers, such as adding affordable housing, they could get some bonus density in addition to the 24 units.
With an additional layer of permitting review, there are also some commercial options that could be allowed on the site. Gurol gave some examples, such as a sports club (something like a gym or other fitness facility), day care, artist’s studio, florist, bookstore, drug store or restaurant. A couple of these sorts of businesses could also band together, forming another strip mall.
For any of those businesses to be built, they would have to be approved by Gurol, or whoever the director of development is at the time a property owner applies.
Gurol said the area reasonably could accommodate some of those businesses, particularly considering that the other three corners of that intersection already have commercial uses on them.
“It’s definitely an intensively used area,” he said.
He noted, however, that in the current economic climate, redevelopment of the property is not likely to happen very quickly.
He also noted that the property’s zoning might change in the coming years. He said that the City Council might review the entire commercial area around that intersection, similar to what it did with Town Center.
A new property owner could also attempt to rezone the property, which opens up a host of new possibilities.
There is also the possibility of another bond attempt, to build the center.
A bond next year might be difficult. Under state law, the number of voters would need to be at least 40 percent of the number that voted Nov. 4. This year was a presidential election year, which typically has very high turnout. Next year, there will be no federal or state candidates on the ballot, which often leads to low voter turnout. As a result, the 40 percent threshold might not happen.
A bond attempt in 2010 would not have to meet the minimum voter threshold.
However, city officials have not yet begun discussing next steps, City Manager Ben Yazici said.
He noted that a solid majority of Sammamish citizens — 56 percent — voted in favor of the bond.
“Obviously, the majority of the citizens want these improvements,” he said.
He said he expects the City Council and staff to begin discussing options in late December or early January.
Editor Ari Cetron can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 233 or Samrev@isspress.com. To comment on this or any other story, visit www.sammamishreview.com.
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