Boiler Bay Beacon
LINCOLN CITY — The Lincoln City Council has directed staff to pursue a $58 million bond measure for the November ballot to address the future of City Hall and the Driftwood Library. The decision, made at the July 27 meeting, leaves the specific development plan and site still to be determined later.
City Manager Daniel Hunter confirmed the timeline in written answers provided Tuesday to the Boiler Bay Beacon. Council chose the highest of three previously presented bond amounts to give the city the greatest flexibility if voters approve the measure. No final determination has been made on whether to renovate the existing building, rebuild on the current site, or construct a new facility elsewhere.
The current building at 801 SW Highway 101 was completed in 1984. Driftwood Public Library moved into the second floor in 1993. The structure totals about 110,000 square feet, more than 78,000 square feet larger than the city says it needs. Annual operating costs run approximately $1.2 million. Deferred maintenance is estimated at $2.8 million and includes water intrusion, rusty window frames and metal surfaces, and aging HVAC systems.
Three options remain under review. All include a tsunami evacuation road. Bond amounts were revised in late June.
Option 1: Renovate the existing building
Full renovation to current building codes, seismic upgrades, and site work. Bond request: $31.5 million. The building would still be far larger than needed, keeping operating costs high. Most staff could relocate within the building or work remotely during construction. City Hall, the library, and McKay’s grocery store would face temporary disruption. The parking deck above the store would need rebuilding, and current limits on library programs would remain.
Option 2: Build new on the current site
Demolish the existing structure, prepare the site, construct a smaller building, and complete seismic upgrades on the McKay’s building. Bond request: $45.1 million. Significant remaining costs for the McKay’s structure are expected. Some employees would work remotely while the library moves into rented space and other functions use rented mobile offices. Those rental costs would be offset by the $1.2 million in annual operating savings from the current building. The site could not be sold, and parking and access issues would remain unresolved.
Option 3: Build new on a different property
Construct a right-sized City Hall and library on newly acquired land, plus site work and a new public street. Bond request: $58.0 million. An update posted July 20 identifies the alternate site as property east of Highway 101 between SE 23rd and SE 32nd, known as Lincoln 44. Urban Renewal purchased the land for a future water reservoir already listed in its plan. The site sits outside the tsunami inundation zone and near the city center.
Hunter described planning for the Lincoln 44 site as still conceptual. The concept involves extending SE 27th Street up the hill to a suitable location, developing the City Hall and library first, and adding the water reservoir later once Urban Renewal advances that work. The intent is to locate the reservoir close to the civic building to maintain a smaller overall footprint.
At the $58 million bond level, the estimated levy is $1.13 per $1,000 of assessed value. That figure assumes a 30-year term at 3.5% interest. With the city’s median assessed property value at $261,645, the estimated annual tax impact on a median-value home is $295.66. Interest rates can change.
The city’s online poll on Connect Lincoln City showed Option 3 leading with 60 percent of 40 responses at the time of the original reporting. Option 1 had 25 percent and Option 2 had 15 percent. Hunter said the poll results and input from two town halls informed the Council’s July 27 decision to pursue the $58 million amount.
We have included our own poll here:
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Councilor Marci Baker, speaking earlier Tuesday in her personal capacity and not on behalf of the council or the city, said the questions match what she is hearing from residents.
“The public has an interest in the financials and want to know things like what is plan B if the bond does not pass?” she said. She added that it is never just one option. “It’s only responsible to have a backup plan, especially when the public is asking for it.”
Hunter indicated additional town halls may be held closer to election day. Those sessions are expected to focus more on the need and the “why” than on rehashing the three concepts already presented.
More information, including photos of current conditions and answers to common questions, is available in the FAQs on the city’s project page at connectlincolncity.org/visioning-city-hall-driftwood-library. Residents can also register there for updates. Public comments can still be submitted through the city’s project page, by emailing the city, or by contacting Public Information Officer Kevin Mattias.
City officials describe the choice as one that will shape Lincoln City for the next 40-plus years. The bond amount is now set for the ballot. The final site and building concept remain open.
