Port of Chelan County Another Step Closer to Purchase of Cashmere Mill Site Property
Written by Raylene Bradley
Thursday, 26 July 2007
- The
Port of Chelan County Commission took another significant step expected to
culminate in the purchase of a 32 acre property which once housed a lumber mill
in Cashmere. At a July 19th
special meeting of the Port Commission, approval was given to an addendum to an
existing purchase and sale agreement with Cedarbrook LLC, to extend the
feasibility period to August 17, 2007 to allow for the completion of soil
testing and a survey, and to provide sufficient time for the Port to pursue the
issuance of general obligation bonds to fund the cost of the acquisition and to
begin the reclamation of the property.
The bonds will be repaid from existing Port financial resources; no
special levy will be required.
Port Commissioner JC
Baldwin, whose district includes the Cashmere community, looks forward to the
redevelopment of the site. “We realize
that there are significant challenges ahead,” stated Baldwin. “With the supply of available land so very
limited in Chelan County, and with the ultimate potential of this site to
accommodate new or expanding existing local businesses, I am confident that we
have made the right decision to proceed with the steps necessary to complete
the purchase.”
The Port has completed
both an appraisal and an engineering feasibility study of the property, and
held a public open house in Cashmere to gauge public sentiment about the
proposed acquisition and redevelopment of the site. Long time Cashmere businessman and Chamber of Commerce Board
member John Clifford shared Baldwin’s enthusiasm, adding, “the Port’s
acquisition is a real plus for Cashmere at a time when we’re showing our
growth. I think we would have a lot of businesses interested in coming to
Cashmere if the site is quickly broken down into useable lots. With the growth
of the valley, people in Seattle are waking up to the potential of the valley,
and there are a lot of small businesses that would probably love to relocate
here.”
Assuming that the survey, final testing and
bonding present no unexpected issues, the agreement provides that closing would
occur no later than October 24, 2007.
After closing, the Port would begin a lengthy process of site
redevelopment, beginning with the removal of wood waste that has accumulated
over the years when the site housed a lumber mill.
- The
Port of Chelan County Commission took another significant step expected to
culminate in the purchase of a 32 acre property which once housed a lumber mill
in Cashmere. At a July 19th
special meeting of the Port Commission, approval was given to an addendum to an
existing purchase and sale agreement with Cedarbrook LLC, to extend the
feasibility period to August 17, 2007 to allow for the completion of soil
testing and a survey, and to provide sufficient time for the Port to pursue the
issuance of general obligation bonds to fund the cost of the acquisition and to
begin the reclamation of the property.
The bonds will be repaid from existing Port financial resources; no
special levy will be required.
Dow Jones
