Kent council declares 115 Naden Ave. S. surplus, authorizes marketing and sale after public hearing

The Kent City Council voted unanimously June 3 to declare the city-owned property at 115 Naden Avenue South surplus and authorized the mayor to take all actions necessary to market and sell the parcel.

City Chief Economic Development Officer Bill Ellis presented the item during a public hearing and told council the city acquired the property "to abate, and had experienced a series of fires, 5." He said the parcel is contiguous with the larger Needham Avenue assemblage the city has already declared surplus and adding it to that assemblage is expected to help the city seek the highest and best value for the property.

Why it matters: The council’s resolution (No. 2090) moves ownership of the parcel from an active municipal role into a marketing-and-sale phase. That shifts decision-making about long-term reuse to a disposition process the city will manage and sets the path for potential private development, ground leases or other outcomes determined through future solicitation.

Public comment at the hearing emphasized community involvement in deciding the site’s future. TJ Peterson, a Kent resident who testified during the hearing, said, "I think it's a good idea to pick it up and add it to the assemblage," and urged the city to engage residents before finalizing reuse plans. Another commenter recommended exploring housing, ground leases and options to preserve community uses rather than an outright sale.

The council closed the public hearing and then took the resolution to a vote. A motion to adopt Resolution No. 2090 — "declaring the city owned property located at 115 Naden Avenue South as surplus and authorizing the mayor to take all action necessary to market and sell the surplus land" — passed 7–0.

What the action does and does not do: The resolution authorizes marketing and sale activity; it does not itself select a buyer, approve a redevelopment plan, or commit the city to a specific use. Council members and commenters noted that future Requests for Proposals or ground-lease terms could shape outcomes, and that community engagement would be appropriate before any final redevelopment agreement.

Next steps identified in the meeting: staff will place the parcel with the Needham assemblage for disposition and proceed with marketing and solicitation steps authorized by the resolution. The council did not adopt conditions on the sale in this meeting; participants in public comment asked the council to consider options such as long-term leases or explicit community input during the procurement process.

Council vote: 7 in favor; 0 opposed. The mayor is authorized to sign documents necessary to market and sell the parcel under the terms approved by the city attorney and staff.