City approves purchase of Snohomish County parcel for replacement public‑works shop

Bothell — The City Council unanimously approved a resolution on July 15 authorizing purchase of portions of a Snohomish County parcel from 810 2200 Fortieth LLC to serve as a replacement public‑works shop after WSDOT’s I‑405 widening required demolition of the city’s prior facility.

Why it matters: The city’s former shop site was acquired by WSDOT as part of the I‑405 improvement project; a replacement was required. City staff said geotechnical findings at the replacement parcel previously offered by WSDOT showed poor soils prone to landslides, prompting the search for a different site.

Capital projects engineer Alex Wan told council staff reviewed more than 50 sites within the city and neighboring jurisdictions. “Of the 6 sites that we found, 810‑Fortieth proved to meet most of our search criteria,” he said. The site includes an office building, a storage structure and an exterior gravel laydown yard; the city completed title review, preliminary site layout, Phase 1 and 2 environmental assessments and building inspections during a 45‑day feasibility period and reported no significant issues.

Staff said the plan is to retain the existing office building and construct a new storage structure that meets the needs of the city’s fleet and equipment; the city expects on‑site storage for a bagged truck and one or two single‑axle dump trucks and said employee and vehicle parking is adequate. The council approved the purchase unanimously.

Next steps: Design and construction planning; staff will return with design details and budget implications as the project moves into design and procurement.