Chelan County buys property for $1.8 million EM, coroner, motor pool to relocate to Ohme Garden Road
information released
Chelan County commissioners approved the purchase of 2.75 acres on Ohme Garden Road in Wenatchee for the future relocation of several county departments. The industrially zoned land was purchased for $1.8 million from Eider Properties LLC of Wenatchee. Eider was in the process of building a business park on the site and had made several improvements to the property, including leveling of the site, constructing infrastructure and future building pads, and getting permits for future buildings, before entering into negotiations last month with Chelan County.
The Board of County Commissioners signed the agreement on April 8. Commissioners plan to relocate several departments to the new site, including motor pool, which manages a fleet of vehicles for 15 county departments, the largest of which is the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office. The coroner’s office and functions of the Sheriff’s Office, including Emergency Management and training facilities, also will be relocated to the new property.
“We have a number of aging buildings that no longer meet the increased service needs of our community. The Board of County Commissioners has been working toward identifying funding source opportunities to invest in not only new capital facilities but also capital facility upgrades to better serve our communities,” said Commissioner Kevin Overbay, BOCC chairman. “This land purchase kicks off our 20-Year Capital Facilities Plan and initiates improvements and investments we plan to make over the next two decades.”
The site on Ohme Garden Road garnered the county’s interest earlier this year and a feasibility study was conducted to determine if it could meet the county’s needs, said Ron Cridlebaugh, director of Chelan County Economic Services. The county will be moving toward getting the construction of the buildings out for bid in the coming months, he said. The county expects to build three buildings on the property that will total 18,000 square feet. Each will have office space as well as large work bays for vehicles.
“We will meet with the directors of those departments relocating to the new site to determine their needs and begin working with an architect to finalize our conception,” Cridlebaugh said. “We hope to see construction starting in late summer and move-in day in spring 2025.”
Chelan County commissioners purchased 2.75 acres on Ohme Garden Road in Wenatchee for $1.8 million. The county plans to begin construction later this year.
The 20-Year Capital Facilities Plan calls for the building where motor pool and the coroner are currently located (at the corner of Washington and King streets) to eventually be torn down. A new structure built in its place would one day serve other departments, including the prosecutor’s office and county jail.
“With this purchase, the Sheriff’s Office will have a modern facility with training rooms and space for all of its equipment. Motor pool will have a shop and the facilities to work more efficiently. The county coroner will have the space necessary for his specialized equipment, meeting state statutes,” Overbay said. “This new property will give multiple departments the resources to provide services to the public more effectively and efficiently.”
