St. Helens council forum revisits police station site selection, public raises cost and process concerns

St. Helens city staff and a consulting project manager presented a site-selection review for a proposed new police station at a May 7 council public forum, saying a Columbia Boulevard parcel (referred to as the 1771 site) ranked highest among evaluated options and that negotiations with the property owner are underway.

David Lentz, senior project manager and project executive at BoJack, said the project team had evaluated multiple sites and that “we've got a rough estimate for the whole project at $11,900,000.” He described a scoring matrix used by councilors and planning commissioners that placed the 1771 Columbia site at the top of the list after more than 20 meetings and a multi-site review.

The presentation summarized alternatives considered: the Columbia Boulevard/1771 site; the existing police-station site (which would require purchasing adjacent property for parking and about $500,000 in plan modifications); a prior Castro Road site (removed after appeals and floodplain concerns); a Gable Road “greenfield” site; and a sheriff’s office site that has floodplain constraints. Staff said reuse of previously developed design drawings would reduce some design costs and that demolition and site-specific adjustments were included in the team's estimates.

Why it matters: the council faces trade-offs among cost, seismic safety, parking and long delays that have already affected financing. Lentz and other staff emphasized the need for a seismically resilient “essential facility” and warned of rising costs because of delays.

Council and staff described key fiscal and program considerations. Staff said the city has incurred roughly $685,000 in bond-related arbitrage and administrative fees during the project delay, reducing funds available to offset construction costs. Lentz told the forum that the Columbia site currently is the least expensive option under the team's analysis and that the city is “negotiating with the site owner and is getting very close to having a deal.” He added that a lease with option to buy and an outright purchase were both under consideration.

Residents at the public forum pressed the council on process and affordability. One commenter, who identified himself as Brady, told the council: “You all know that you have, and it's disingenuous to act like you haven't,” criticizing the timing of the forum and saying the city should pause construction given budget pressures. Jenny Gilbert, who introduced herself as “Jenny Gilbert, president,” echoed concerns that decisions had already been made and asked the council to be forthright.

Other public commenters raised technical and program questions: Jennifer Shoemaker asked whether the city’s due diligence included environmental work, and staff replied that the city has completed Phase I environmental analyses, one by the owner and one performed by the city. Audience members and councilors also questioned parking assumptions, secure parking placement behind the building, how the site would affect traffic across Columbia Boulevard and whether on-street parking counts had been considered in meeting code requirements.

Staff and councilors stressed operational needs driving the plan: respondents said the proposed design includes interview and victim privacy rooms, evidence storage, a refuge area that can lock and set alarms, and other spaces staff consider essential. Acting Chief Hogan was named in the discussion as having participated in the planning process.

No formal action or vote was taken at the forum. Staff characterized the session as informational and said the next steps include continuing negotiations with the 1771 property owner, refining cost estimates (some pricing noted as three to five months old), and clarifying parking, demolition costs and contract terms. Lentz noted some estimates may require updating for inflation, material tariffs or elevator costs.

The forum closed without a decision; the council adjourned at 6:43 p.m. as the city continues to weigh the Columbia Boulevard site against other alternatives and to finalize negotiations and updated cost estimates.