Weekly Report – November 11, 2023

Wrap-Up of the Let’s Talk Meeting – City Hall Project

In case you missed the special meeting held on November 6th, here are some informational highlights from the meeting.

Background

Since 2014, the City of Normandy Park has been working to establish a new City Hall and Police Station. And a new opportunity has emerged that can meet our needs in an existing building on First Avenue. For context, the building we are looking at is approximately 28,000 square feet and is part of Towne Center. Said building is in the northwest corner of the shopping center and used to serve the community as our grocery store.

The Building

If the building is purchased, the City will immediately renovate 16,000 square feet to serve as a City Hall, Police Station, Town Hall, and community gathering place. The remaining 12,000 square feet is currently leased, and the City will honor that agreement.

Here is the proposed site plan:

This plan creates a secure area for transporting suspects, public restrooms, a large conference room that can be reserved for public use, a Town Hall that will be designed as a multipurpose room, and 2,000 square feet that can be used as a community gathering space. In addition, this building would move the City Hall and Police Station operations to First Avenue (just west of the Friendly Market gas station and north of Auntie’s Playhouse).

Voter Approved Bond

Funding for this project will be dependent on a voter-approved bond. In looking at the project costs and the available cash that the City has in reserves, we need a $7.5 million bond. With this funding, we can purchase the building, make the necessary improvements, and have funding to help us repurpose our current City Hall building.

In 2022, residents could vote on a $15 million bond to help build a new Civic Center. Voters rejected this bond, and the main reason stated behind this voter decision was that the project was too expensive. We are happy to present an option that has reduced the bond request by 50%. To help you understand how the bond would impact your household, here is a chart showing the costs of the proposed bond. And remember, use your assessed value and not the market value. If you want help determining your value, visit the King County Assessor’s website.

We are still finalizing some of the project details, so many more discussions and public meetings will be coming up soon. I encourage you to stay tuned for more information and please come to the public meetings to let your voice be heard. If you want to learn more details about this project, please watch the meeting recording.

Resident Safety & Security Meeting: Monday, November 13th @ 6:00 p.m.

Come to City Hall on Monday evening for a chance to come together as a community and discuss our roles and how to help ensure our safety and our neighbors’ safety. Bringing resources, tips, best practices, how to get involved in our direct community and what city and regional resources to engage. We live in a very safe city. The recent crimes are scary, and we cannot downplay the seriousness and the lasting effects these have had on our community and the victims. We can feel more prepared and confident and know how to act. Discussion topics will include:

· Personal and Household Safety and Security

· Neighborhood Block Watch

· Normandy Park Police and Regional Resources

We hope to see you at City Hall on Monday, November 13th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with me at aarrington@normandyparkwa.gov. Have a great week!

” Come to City Hall on Monday evening for a chance to come together as a community and discuss our roles and how to help ensure our safety and our neighbors’ safety…”