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Kenmore delays boathouse rent decision after council questions effect on small nonprofits
Summary
Council heard staff proposals for charging rent to Kenmore Community Rowing Club and Inglewood High School boosters but did not move to adopt rates; members asked staff to negotiate with the clubs and return in September with more analysis.
The council received a staff presentation on July 20 about charging rent for the public boathouse used by the Kenmore Community Rowing Club (KCRC) and the Inglewood High School boosters, but elected not to adopt a rent schedule at the meeting and asked staff to consult with the organizations and return with more information in September.
Public works operations director Jennifer Gordon reviewed the boathouse’s operational history and current agreements. Gordon said the facility was constructed in 2020, the city maintains the building envelope and public restrooms, and the two organizations operate year‑round programming under separate agreements. She described two market studies: one from an external firm that estimated a market rate of $20 per square foot (about $6,600 per month) and a staff review that identified much lower comparable rents. Using an average of the two analyses and a tentative 75/25 revenue split, staff proposed a discounted blended rate; KCRC would begin paying rent Oct. 1 and the boosters March 1, 2027, under the proposed schedule.
Several council members urged caution. Council member Redmond noted construction cost overruns and said it was “unrealistic to expect a couple of small nonprofit organizations to substantially try to pay that back.” Council member Colburn proposed fundraising benchmarks, asking whether the organizations could offset rent with targeted fundraising and suggesting staff consider phased or conditional discounts. Council members said the proposed revenue (cited in discussion as roughly $48,000 per year in one scenario) would matter to the city but could be significant for small nonprofits and high‑school programming.
Council consensus was to delay final action, ask staff to negotiate with the clubs and explore fundraising or phased approaches, and bring a refined recommendation back to the council in September.
What’s next: staff will meet with KCRC and the boosters to refine rent proposals, evaluate affordability and operational impacts, and report back in a September meeting.
