Lewis County Public Utilities District recently purchased two buildings with plans to demolish them for parking and a drive thru payment box.
The Lewis County Public Utilities District is hoping a recent $300,000 property purchase will improve customer service.
The PUD recently closed deals on two buildings across from its downtown Chehalis location.
It has purchased the building that housed the now closed Ciao Bella Boutique and its neighbor, Beautiful Skin with Kim, which is opening on North Tower Avenue in Centralia Sept. 1.
PUD Manager Bob Geddes said PUD plans to demolish the two buildings to offer more parking for employees and customers.
“We are very crowded for parking,” he said. “... We have one lot for employees that doesn’t even hold all of our employees.”
Geddes said plans also include installing a drive-through payment dropbox at the newly purchased location.
Right now, PUD has many customers who park on the street and run in to make a payment.
PUD does have a payment dropbox on the front of the building, but people still have to stop and park to use it.
“Because the PUD has decided to stay downtown rather than move out of town, we’re limited on being able to put in a drive-in window or anything. There just isn’t room for that,” Geddes said.
Geddes also hopes the purchase will improve safety.
In the time PUD has been at its Pacific Avenue Chehalis location, two pedestrians have been hit by cars crossing the street, Geddes said.
The area is also congested, and parked cars have lost mirrors to other drivers.
“So we’re just trying to be a little more customer friendly, plus allow the employees to get off the street with the parking and have some parking slots for customers that do need to come into the office,” Geddes said.
The two buildings were owned by the same person and purchased by PUD for $300,000. Geddes said the owner contacted him to see if the PUD was interested in leasing the space after Ciao Bella and Beautiful Skin with Kim decided not to extend their leases.
Eventually PUD and the former owner settled on a purchase agreement.
PUD is in talks with the owner of a third building, which houses Ontos Inc. With just the two buildings, Geddes estimates PUD should get 15 to 20 parking spaces as well as room for the drive-through.
Geddes said PUD is waiting to see if an agreement on the third building is reached before beginning any work, which will likely begin next year.
