Council approves sale of 110 C Street to Sweetser couple for small coffee shop with conditions

The Washington City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 3 to accept Ethan and Carly Sweetser’s proposal to purchase the city-owned lot at 110 C Street for use as a commercial coffee shop with inside seating and a drive-thru. The council motion, made by Council Member Carolyn Pinnick and seconded by Council Member Jerry Fuhrken, includes conditions that construction commence within six months of conveyance, comply with applicable building codes, be completed within 12 months, and that the lot not be used for storage.

Staff reported the city received two proposals for 110 C Street. Eric Gepner of Eric’s Automotive submitted a bid to use the space primarily for parking and used-vehicle sales and indicated he might install a roughly 20-foot fence along the back of the lot and later add bay doors on the north side. Gepner told the council he was exploring adding one employee and would not leave junk vehicles on site. The Sweetser proposal described a transition of a mobile coffee business into a small shop with a drive-thru, employing one or two people initially and expanding to three or four within six to nine months; proposed hours were approximately 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Council members emphasized compliance with codes and the timeline in the sale terms. The motion to accept the Sweetser proposal passed on a unanimous voice vote recorded as Ayes: Amy Anderson; Mary Ann Crome; Jerry Fuhrken; Terry Morse; Carolyn Pinnick.

The sale conditions preserve the city’s ability to enforce building-code compliance and limit noncommercial uses of the lot. The council did not adopt any additional zoning modifications or incentives at the meeting. The item concluded with staff noting next steps to convey the property and monitor the development timeline.