City staff recommend sale of surplus Precision Tune site; appraisal, cleanup and possible Northline Village swap discussed

City staff recommended April 7 that the council declare surplus and pursue sale of a city‑owned parcel at 19610 40th Avenue W (the former Precision Tune site), concluding the property is not suitable for permanent park use without substantial additional remediation and improvements.

Why it matters: The parcel, purchased in January 2020 for $1,425,000 and used as a staging area during the 190th/6th Street project, contains residual petroleum‑contaminated soils requiring further cleanup. Staff recommended pursuing sale or a land swap to advance City Center goals and support nearby Town Square Park and 40th Avenue infrastructure projects.

Key findings and staff recommendation

- Environmental status and acquisition: Sarah Cho, city center program manager, said the city removed 1,347 tons of petroleum‑contaminated soil during project work and that an estimated 1,200 tons of contaminated soil remain on the site, meaning additional environmental remediation will be needed for intensive public uses. The city purchased the property for $1,425,000; the building was demolished in early 2021.

- Appraisal and assessments: Staff completed an updated environmental assessment (Associated Earth Sciences, February 2025) and a property appraisal (CBRE, February 2025). Parks, public works and development staff met with the parks director and concluded the site is not a suitable long‑term public park because of noise, traffic speeds and safety concerns at the busy intersection of 196th and 40th.

- Recommended next steps: Staff recommended council authorize moving forward with negotiations to offer the property first to the adjacent Northline Village owner (Merlon Geier) to explore purchase or a land swap to expand the village green, then, if that does not proceed, retain a real‑estate consultant and list the property. Staff said the proposed process would include an executive session to discuss appraisal and negotiating strategy and that a sale could not be finalized until a purchase and sale agreement returns to council for approval.

Council discussion

Council members asked about the original purpose of the purchase (city acquisition was required to widen the roadway and provide staging) and whether remediation responsibility would transfer to a future purchaser; staff said the city negotiated a partial cleanup and a contribution from the prior owner at the time of purchase but acknowledged additional remediation would be part of future negotiations and affect any purchase price. Parks staff reiterated preference for funding Town Square Park and other nearby public improvements rather than building a park on this constrained corner.

There was no council vote; staff requested authority to proceed to executive session and, if council concurs, to pursue negotiations with Northline Village before a broader market listing.