Ridgefield’s City Council voted to purchase two parcels of land in a Friday, April 25 meeting. The land will be used for both short- and long-term projects to accommodate planned developments.
Downtown parking
The City of Ridgefield will soon have contractors excavate and treat a parking lot’s soil in downtown. The Park Laundry Site, located on the corner of Simmons Street and North Main Avenue, has contaminated soil and groundwater.
From 1965 to 1977, the Park Laundry Site was owned by dry cleaners who used a solvent in their operations that contaminated soil and groundwater, making the property impossible to redevelop. City Manager Steve Stuart said the City Council has wanted to clean up the site for decades.
“Only after it’s cleaned up by the city with the assistance of the Department of Ecology and working with a professional contractor to manage the project, only then will it be ready, available and ethical for future development, or something that really enhances our downtown,” Stuart said.
The city purchased roughly 6,000 square feet of land in downtown for residents to use as a parking lot during the cleanup phase. The parcel is north of the Park Laundry Site, and was bought for $185,000. The city bought the land for the same amount it originally sold to a developer in 2020. Stuart said the developer’s original plans fell through due to a change in the market.
“We want to make sure that whatever happens with that parcel, that it fits what our downtown merchants and our Main Street [values] and our council wants to see happen.” Stuart said.
Stuart said residents have used the site as an unofficial parking lot for years. He noted the land will be useful while soil is decontaminated at the Park Laundry Site, which has been an unofficial parking lot for years.
Stuart said the excavation and treatment of the site’s soil will take place this year and will end before 2025. The City Council will decide whether the newly purchased property to replace parking at the cleanup site should be used for new development in the future.
“This purchase is an extension of the council’s commitment to provide opportunities for parking in the near term and redevelopment potential in the long term, knowing that the downtown is the heart of the city and knowing that we need to invest in it to see it be successful,” Stuart said.
Stormwater facility
The council also agreed to buy 3.26 acres of land from a 10-acre parcel north of Pioneer Street and west of Interstate 5 for $1,140,000. The land has a stormwater pond already built, which will collect and treat rainwater from the city’s roads in development north of Pioneer Street. This includes the roads that will connect drivers to the Costco and In-n-Out Burger commercial zones, which are currently under construction. Stuart said the land was sold to the city for its estimated value prior to the pond’s construction.
“When the roadways are complete, they will absolutely be using that storm pond immediately,” Stuart said.
Ridgefield already allocated $850,000 for either the purchase or construction of a stormwater facility in its annual budget. The purchase will require an additional $25,000 in closing costs, bringing the total to $1,165,000, making the cost $315,000 more than originally budgeted. At press time, Stuart said city staff will present a budget amendment to the council to account for the necessary $315,000.
“This is one piece of a big puzzle put together by multiple partners, public and private, to assure access and capacity for people to get to and through a busy area, bringing on new services and jobs,” Stuart said.
