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City staff: Long Lake house eligible for documentation before planned demolition; demo targeted for 2026
Summary
Staff told the commission the city purchased a 1.8-acre parcel at 2802 Boat Launch Street and plans to demolish the house and garage as part of a park expansion; the house will be documented per policy because it is eligible for the Lacey Register.
City staff updated the Lacey Historical Commission on a Long Lake property the city purchased in 2022 and said the city plans to demolish the existing house and garage as part of a park expansion, with demolition scheduled in 2026 and documentation to be completed beforehand because the house is eligible for the Lacey Register of historic places.
A staff presenter (unnamed in the transcript) described the property as a 1.8-acre parcel at 2802 Boat Launch Street adjacent to Long Lake Park; the parcel includes a 2,075-square-foot single-family residence, a two-car detached garage, and about 420 feet of lakefront. The city purchased the parcel under its right of first refusal and has included the land in long-range park plans to expand community access and outdoor uses.
Staff said the city engaged a historic preservation consultant to document the house; the consultant finished the documentation and staff will share the full report with the commission at an upcoming meeting (the consultant's report also includes the McKinney House). The presenter said the city decided to demolish the house and garage for several reasons: repeated vandalism requiring boarding and security measures since acquisition, capital and maintenance costs to make the structure safe and usable for the public without any identified funding source, and a long-range site plan that emphasizes outdoor park uses (trails, kayak/paddle-board access and fishing) rather than an indoor facility.
The presenter explained that per city policy, eligible properties must be documented prior to demolition. Staff said the documentation work is complete and that the demolition timeline is set for 2026; a budget request for demolition had already been approved in a prior year and the work waited on consultant documentation to proceed.
No commission vote was taken at the meeting; staff said the commission would receive the consultant's report and will discuss documentation and the McKinney House in an upcoming meeting.
Staff also described constraints for any future indoor facility on the site: the city has not identified an operation and maintenance funding source and current park plans do not include an indoor structure. If future planning identifies an indoor facility with funding for operations, staff said plans could change but current direction focuses on outdoor uses and community access expansions.
