The city of Kent plans to buy the property along Naden Avenue South that had four house fires over a seven-month period earlier this year.
The City Council unanimously approved a staff recommendation Sept. 17 to make an offer of $140,000 for the Waller property at 115 Naden Ave. S. The fires, reportedly set by homeless people staying at the vacant house, eventually destroyed the home. The fires spanned from Feb. 2 to Aug. 29. Nobody was hurt in the fires.
“There’s severe risk to public safety,” said Kurt Hanson, city Economic and Community Development director, to the council about the reasons for buying the land. “People are coming and going from the site. We don’t want another fire or any injuries. Firefighters are sick of going there.”
City staff tracked down the property owner, an older woman living out of state with limited resources, and she agreed to negotiate with the city to sell the property, Hanson said.
The woman and her husband (who has since died) bought the home in 1988 for $42,500, according to King County property records. The house was built in 1948 and has 860 square feet. The property was appraised earlier this year at $311,000, $144,000 for the land and $167,000 for the house (prior to the fires), according to property records.
The city already owns 23 parcels near the property, Hanson said. The city began to purchase the Naden properties in 2002 with plans for an aquatic center. But city leaders later abandoned that plan because of the high costs and then agreed to partner with the YMCA to build a fitness facility on the East Hill that opened in 2019.
Over the last several years the city has been trying to sell the land to a developer. A proposal for a hotel on a portion of the property fell through in 2020. A plan for a technology complex stalled.
Once purchased, city staff will add the 5,000-square-foot piece of land with all the fires to the overall Naden properties for sale.
“When we go to market for development, it would include this,” Hanson said.
The city will use general funds to buy the property.
“So, eventually we will get the money back,” said City Councilmember Marli Larimer in anticipation of finding a buyer for the large piece of property north of Willis Street, south of West Meeker Street and east of Highway 167.
The city will pay $43,000 for a contractor to demolish the house, which could happen this week. That cost will be part of the $140,000 sale price.
Hanson said the property would have limited value on the open market because it’s constricted by an office building as well as Highway 167.
“It’s a fairly low acquisition cost, and it’s beneficial to (the Naden) assembly,” Hanson said.
The property owner gave the city her permission to enter the property, abate the nuisance, and assess a lien against the property tax roll to reimburse the city for its abatement costs, according to city documents.
The parties are close to an agreement, but negotiations continue, according to Hanson and city documents. If the parties are able to reach a final agreement, the purchase will move toward closing, with the city abating the nuisance in the meantime. If the parties are unable to reach a final agreement, the city will abate the public nuisance and lien the property for the amount ($43,000) of the abatement costs.
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