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Folsom council authorizes purchase of building across from police station for department expansion
Summary
The City Council authorized purchase of 1 Natoma Street and directed use of developer impact fees to pay most of the $2.7 million asking price, plus an estimated $1 million for tenant improvements. The property will house neighborhood services, investigations and animal services currently operating in cramped space.
The Folsom City Council on May 13 authorized the city manager to execute an agreement to purchase 1 Natoma Street for police‑department use, approving a plan to fund the acquisition mainly with developer impact fees.
Commander Brian Lockhart told the council the city’s current police building, constructed in 1991, is crowded; investigators and other units are working in small converted spaces and the department rents 2,800 square feet at 11 Natoma Street for neighborhood services and animal services. The property at 1 Natoma Street is roughly 8,000 square feet and sits across the street from the police station.
Lockhart said the department intends to relocate its Neighborhood Services Division (traffic, homeless outreach, POP team, school resource officers and animal services) to the building and to move the Criminal Investigations Division staff, which would ease overcrowding at the main station. He described the acquisition as more cost‑effective than an estimated expansion to the current facility; earlier estimates showed an addition could cost in the tens of millions of dollars.
City staff recommended financing the $2.7 million purchase primarily with developer impact fees collected for the South of Highway 50 plan area, and a smaller portion from funds collected north of 50. The city manager told the council these fees were collected because of growth in that plan area and that buying the building is a way to convert developer contributions into a long‑term asset that could later be monetized or repurposed for other South‑of‑50 facilities.
Council members asked about timelines, whether the building would fully house police functions immediately, and whether improvements would include expanded dispatch space. Staff said the posted $1 million tenant‑improvement figure is an estimate; the council’s authorization opens escrow and staff will return with specific improvement costs for future council approval. The city manager said the $1 million is not an open appropriation and that specific tenant‑improvement contracts will come back for council action.
The council approved the resolution authorizing purchase on roll call. Staff said some portion of the building may be used temporarily by other departments (for example Fire administrative space) while a long‑term plan is finalized. Commander Lockhart said certain moves could happen quickly, with larger interior reconfigurations following design work; staff estimated some short‑term occupancy could occur within a few months depending on inspection and minor retrofit requirements.
Ending: The purchase aims to reduce overcrowding at the existing police station and provide space to support growth in the South of 50 plan area; council approval opens escrow and requires subsequent council actions to authorize tenant improvements and any reconfiguration work.
