Port of Chehalis Currently Working on Three Sale and Purchase Agreements

The Port of Chehalis is currently in the process of drafting three separate sale and purchase agreements.

The proposed sale agreement is being put together for Wilson Oil, also known as Wilcox and Flegel Oil Co., for the port’s Maurin Road Industrial Site 2 property. The company originally wanted a build-to-suit facility, but later decided it would rather purchase the property and build its own building to house its operations. 

The proposed site is 8 acres.

A sale price was not discussed, but port CEO Randy Mueller said by law, the port has to obtain two appraisals from separate individuals to ensure the property is not being sold for less than what it’s worth. 

The process is moving forward quickly, Mueller said. 

Since the site sits on a parcel that is split by Bonneville Power Administration lines, a boundary line adjustment will have to take place before the sale of the property.

“We’re very optimistic there won’t be any sort of delay,” Mueller said.

The land underneath the powerlines will house a regional stormwater pond. Construction began on Monday and is expected to be completed in less than 35 days. The pond will be used by Wilson Oil and whoever purchases the remainder of the parcel once the boundary line adjustment is approved. The cost for maintenance and operations of the stormwater pond would be split 50-50 between the businesses. The port will pay 50 percent of the cost until another tenant moves onto the other portion of property.

“That way we won’t make any money off of it, but we won’t lose any,” Mueller said. 

The port is also moving forward with two purchase agreements for 1896 Bishop Road and 478 N. Market Blvd., in Chehalis.

The Bishop Road site will be useful to the port when portions of Rush Road are eventually widened. The North Market Boulevard property would house a coworking project the port is partnering on with the Chehalis Community Renaissance Team. The downtown location would provide desk space that count be rented by the day, week or month.

Environmental studies will soon be under way for both properties, as will a building inspection for the coworking space prior to purchase. 

Port commissioners were informed that a supplemental budget will have to be approved for the 2017 year at a future meeting. 

“Mostly we’ve had unanticipated expenses and unanticipated grant revenue for projects we didn’t know we would be doing this year,” Mueller said. 

The supplemental budget hearing is tentatively scheduled during the same meeting where commissioners would hold a hearing for the 2018 budget. 

Commissioners adopted a budget calendar that lays out the process moving forward. The first port commission meeting in September is when commissioners will be presented with their first draft. Commissioners will then provide feedback and the necessary changes will be made. The public hearing and adoption of the budget is scheduled for Oct. 26.