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Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Council extends public hearing for Logan Street vacation
DAVENPORT—After several Logan Street residents voiced their concern and opposition, council continued a public hearing for the vacation of the right of way on the street for use by the future Family Dollar site intended to go on the old Lion’s Park site. The public hearing was held at council’s Sept. 22 meeting.
Doug and Mike Janke, whose father lives on Logan Street across from the old park, voiced their opposition to the right-of-way vacation, saying it would make truck access difficult and push potential building very close to their father’s property. Doug Janke also questioned the traffic impact on the block and where snow removal would go.
Jason and Mindy Flett, who live on Logan Street, were also opposed to the right-of-way vacation. Jason Flett asked if the city has any input on where entrances and exits to the store will go, and mayor Brad Sweet responded they do.
According to designs provided in council’s packet, the Family Dollar building will occupy the west side of the block against Second Street, with a parking lot to the east and south bordering Logan, Morgan and First Streets.
Access could come by turning onto First Street with an entrance to the parking lot on Logan Street, but varying messages indicated in three separate planning maps provided by land owner Brian Anderson to the city and included in council’s meeting packet show slightly different designs, with one indicating access via both Morgan and Logan Streets.
The public hearing was originally scheduled at council’s Aug. 25 meeting after a request from Anderson, who purchased the land from the city in Sept. 2020 for $75,000 with the intent to build a Family Dollar store.
Kevin and Sherill Hansen, owners of Davenport Family Foods, were also present at council’s Sept. 22 meeting. Kevin Hansen voiced concern with how the purchase of the property was handled and questioned whether the city should’ve put the land to public bid before selling it to a private buyer.
According to RCW 35.94.040, a public hearing would’ve been required on the sale if it were being sold for utility purposes, but that RCW doesn’t apply because the land won’t be used as such.
RCW 39.33.020 says the city must hold a public hearing before disposing of surplus property valued more than $50,000, and the land sold for $75,000. However, city attorney David Bingaman told city staff that that transfer only applies to intergovernmental transfers, per an opinion from a Washington attorney general in 1997.
The city had the option to put the park up for public bid, but wasn’t required to. Anderson originally approached the city about buying the land for a Family Dollar.
Sweet later told The Times that council considered a public bid process when pondering selling the land to Anderson, but unanimously decided to sell to Anderson for the purpose of bringing more business and sales tax revenue to the city.
Hansen also voiced concern with how the Family Dollar might impact his business, saying he spoke to retailers in other cities that said their drug store businesses were negatively impacted by a Family Dollar/Dollar Tree/Dollar General-type business coming to town.
Rudy Franco, who was also at the meeting, backed Hansen’s statement and said the Family Dollar would take business from local grocery stores.
Councilmember Lance Strite said he spoke to councilmembers in other Inland Northwest cities where “dollar store” franchises were recently installed, like Colville, Chewelah and Deer Park. Strite said local business increased in these towns, because residents weren’t driving to a Walmart to get many of their needs met with the presence of a Dollar Tree or Dollar General.
Hansen, however, reiterated his point and said his perspective came from retailers, not city councilmembers.
Councilmember Cory Hollis supported Strite’s stance, and said he wants to see more growth and business coming to the city.
Anderson reportedly told the city he intended to send a representative to tune into council’s meeting via Zoom to respond to questions from council and the public during the hearing, but no such representative was present.
Anderson, whose business address is listed in Draper, Utah, didn’t respond to multiple calls for comment from The Times by press time.
The city has reached out to Anderson and asked him to send a representative to council’s Oct. 13 meeting to respond to questions the public has before council takes action on the vacation of the right-of-way.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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