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Committee advances downtown police substation lease after debate over staffing and public access
Summary
The FedRack committee forwarded a three‑year lease for the downtown police substation with modest annual rent increases to the Jan. 6, 2026 consent agenda after council members debated whether the site should be staffed during peak light-rail hours; the committee recorded a majority vote to forward the lease.
A proposed three‑year lease for Federal Way’s downtown police substation, which the city has occupied since 2015, will be placed on the Jan. 6, 2026 council consent agenda after the FedRack committee debated staffing and public access.
Commander Arch told the committee the landlord — identified in the staff report as Boling Road LLC — proposed a monthly lease that starts at $3,700 and increases to $3,800 in 2026, $3,900 in 2027 and $4,000 in 2028. He said the lease cost is included in the police department’s approved budget line.
Several council members said they value the substation’s downtown visibility and deterrent effect but raised concerns about public access. Council member Susan Honda cited an instance when an elderly resident sought help at the closed substation door and was told to call 911, saying, “I would like to see it staffed, at least during working hours when people are coming and going from light rail.”
Other members stressed the facility’s operational purpose: reducing officers’ travel time by letting them work downtown without returning to headquarters. Council member Jack Dovi characterized the substation as “workforce management” for patrol staff rather than a full public station.
Council members asked whether Sound Transit or Metro plans for on-site security would change the city’s needs; no firm commitments from Sound Transit were available at the meeting. City counsel confirmed the lease includes a 30‑day termination clause, which some members cited as a reason they were comfortable forwarding the item.
After discussion, a motion to forward the lease agreement to the Jan. 6 consent agenda passed on the committee floor by recorded voice (tally recorded in the meeting as two ayes, one nay). The committee did not adopt any requirement to staff the substation as part of this action.
What happens next
The lease will appear on the full council’s Jan. 6, 2026 consent agenda. Council members asked staff to follow up with the police chief and Sound Transit on staffing options and possible technology that would make the facility more accessible without a full public reception space.
