King County officials are looking for a new location to build a Regional Animal Services Shelter as the current Kent site is too constraining and features a facility more than 50 years old.
King County Executive Dow Constantine proposed spending $19.8 million in his 2025 budget to acquire property and build a new shelter. The King County Council approved the project Nov. 19 as part of a $10.2 billion budget.
The shelter, 21605 64th Ave. S., was built in the 1970s.
“We don’t have a lot of details to share yet, as our Facilities Management Division is still in the process of selecting a new location,” Cameron Satterfield, spokesperson for the Department of Executive Services, said in a Dec. 6 email. “I can tell you that it will not be at the current site on 64th Avenue South, as there are too many constraints there. However, it will still be in the south end of King County, and at least two of the candidate sites are in the Kent Valley.”
With no final site selected, Satterfield said there’s not an exact cost or timeline for the project. But $19.8 million is appropriated in the 2025 budget.
“The money comes from the county’s general fund via the Capital Improvement Program budget for building repair and replacement, as well as the fees the 24 contract cities pay to the county for animal care and control services,” Satterfield said.
Kent is one of the contract cities. King County switched in 2010 to a regional model after previously covering all the costs. The cities contract with the county to provide animal control officers, sheltering and licensing services.
Several of Kent’s neighboring cities, including Renton, Auburn and Federal Way, run their own animal services program. Tukwila and SeaTac are part of the county program. Pet license fees cover a majority of the costs.
An external consulting firm recommended in March that the county build a new shelter at a new site, according to county documents.
“Following review of the existing animal shelter facility it is clear that it is inadequate to meet current needs, much less projected needs for the next 30 years,” according to the consultant. “Most spaces are undersized and building systems are at or near their end of life, some failing on a regular basis. Ventilation does not meet industry standards, which can promote the spread of disease. Storage is throughout corridors and vertically stacked in storage containers on site, which is inefficient and can be hazardous.”
The recommendation for establishing a new shelter was presented to the Executive Office Senior Leadership Team in April. The project scope included the options of purchasing a site of at least 3 acres; with the ability to renovate an existing building on the site or build a new estimated 25,000-square-foot shelter on a site purchased without an existing building. County leaders decided to go with purchasing property and building a new shelter.
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