Community Group Calls for Pause in Key Center Sale

The district remains focused on following a transparent process as our commissioners consider the current sale offer.”

A group of Key Peninsula residents is organizing to oppose the potential sale of Key Peninsula Fire District land in Key Center to a gas station developer, instead seeking a temporary pause in the process to allow for community input and to explore alternative uses.

The group, calling itself the Key Center Commons Working Group, said the so-called Calahan property, site of the vacant O’Callahan’s restaurant at the corner of the KP Highway and 92nd Street NW, is the “front porch” of Key Center and should be developed in a way that reflects long-term community priorities rather than car-focused commercial use.

The Calahan property is currently under contract for $1.05 million with Taechang LLC of Gig Harbor, but the sale isn’t close to being finalized.

Lysanna Anderson, one of the group’s organizers, said the effort is focused on process rather than outcome.

Their goal, according to Anderson, is threefold: Pause the sale, get funding to hold the property, and do community outreach to see what the community wants there.

“We don’t have an agenda beyond preserving this property for the benefit of our community, as defined by the community,” she said. “We’re interested in creating the space and time to hear what the community wants.”

KPFD bought the Calahan property in November 2021 for $950,000, and another nearby parcel of two more properties known collectively as the Olson Estate for an additional $1.2 million that December.

At the time, the district considered them for potential use as sites for a future headquarters, training facility, and health clinic. There has been public debate ever since about whether KPFD acted without sufficient public input and overpaid for the properties.

Anderson said the working group believes the original intent behind the purchase aligns with a community-focused use.

“We’re fortunate the fire district captured the property,” she said. “It was intended to be for a service to the community. We think it still needs to be developed in service to the community. That’s the spirit of this action.”

According to Anderson, the group’s concern is heightened by the property’s location at the center of Key Center and the potential long-term impacts of a gas station at that site. A station would introduce environmental and visual impacts that could shape perceptions of Key Center for decades.

“A gas station would be a long-term source of toxic impact and degradation, draining into Glen Cove,” she said. “This property should be a benefit and a point of pride, not a liability.”

Since launching a petition opposing gas station development early in December, Anderson said the group collected 899 signatures by late December.

They are a “group of experienced, qualified folks,” including longtime residents, KP business owners, and other community members who want more voices involved in decisions about prominent public land.

“This whole thing has been super organic,” she said. “We have multiple meetings each week with community members, foundations, and governmental organizations to gather input and interest, and to learn about how collaborative support could work.” She added that the group already has multiple six-figure investors.

Anderson said she understands the fire district’s financial concerns and the pressure to move forward with a sale.

“The sentiment I’ve heard from the fire district is that they feel they need a solid offer to get it off their books as soon as possible,” she said. “But we understand money talks.”

However, the group said the district could choose to pause the process for a limited period if the current sale falls through.

“They could pause the sale for a relatively brief period to allow for a purposeful, ordered process of gathering input and sourcing funding in service to the community,” Anderson said.

Ultimately, Anderson and the group hope to reduce the burden on the fire district rather than create conflict.

“This takes time and effort,” she said. “We have the effort part covered. We just need the fire department to give us the time, and we want them to be free to focus on their core mission of safety.”

In a statement to KP News, KPFD Public Information Officer Anne Nesbit said, “We acknowledge the efforts of the community group that has raised questions and opposition to the proposed gas station. Their involvement reflects a strong commitment to the Key Peninsula. The district remains focused on following a transparent process as our commissioners consider the current sale offer.”

The buyer’s initial 90-day feasibility period — which included inspections, environmental testing, and permitting work — has concluded. However, KPFD learned in December that it’s responsible for a $24,000 repair to the property’s failing septic system and has asked Taechang owner, John Park, for more time to address the issue. Park wasn’t available for comment at press time.

If Park remains under contract, KPFD’s request could add another 90 days to a process that already allows for several months before closing. As a result, the sale could extend through the end of summer or into early fall.