The city of Hoquiam had its eyes on the prize and pounced on land northeast of downtown Hoquiam.
The Hoquiam City Council voted Monday night to purchase the 10.8 acres from both Darryl and Carol Druzianich, who own one of the two parcels of land, and The Druzianich Family Foundation, which owns the other parcel.
The city will purchase that land for a much lower price of $250,000, which is about 23% lower than the assessed value of nearly $327,000.
According to Darryl, the land acquisition is a “combo purchase and donation.”
Brian Shay, Hoquiam’s city administrator, said he’s grateful for the Druzianich family’s generosity.
In March, the city of Hoquiam’s Revitalization Task Force recommended purchasing this property because the undeveloped land has significant development potential once the North Shore Levee West Project (NSLWP) is constructed, according to city documents. The NSLWP is estimated to be completed in 2027, according to Shay.
The higher-valued parcel, assessed at $180,900, according to the Grays Harbor County Assessor’s office, is 5.98 acres in size. The Druzianich Family Foundation owns that undeveloped land.
The second piece of property is 4.86 acres. That land, owned by the Druzianichs, has an assessed valued of $145,800, according to the assessor’s office.
The properties are to the south and east of Coastal Harvest Mobile Food Bank’s property line. The undeveloped land stretches from just east of the intersection of Wheeler Avenue and Tyler Street and all the way south to the intersection of Chenault Avenue, and Tyler Street. The land also stretches east and south toward the bend in the Hoquiam River.
According to Shay, there was “mutual interest” between the Druzianich family to sell and the city to buy.
“I don’t recall who approached the other first,” Shay said Tuesday. “We had contacted Darryl because we would have needed an easement from him if we did not buy the property. The property had been listed for sale, so there was mutual interest in the city acquiring the property rather than purchasing an easement.”
So far, the property in question is the only property the city has purchased for the NSLWP.
“There are no other planned purchases for this segment other than property we are acquiring for wetland mitigation,” Shay said.
Shay shared some positive words about Druzianich, who along with his brothers Dan and Mike Druzianich donated 24 acres to the city of Cosmopolis in order to expand park space within Cosmopolis in January 2023. Druzianich has donated more than that throughout the Harbor.
“Darryl is an awesome guy,” Shay said. “I’ve known him for a long time. He’s super generous. He’s donated to so many different projects. He donated to the YMCA, he donated land in Cosmopolis. We’re really fortunate that he owned property here in Hoquiam and that he’s been so generous in all of Grays Harbor County.”
Contact Reporter Matthew N. Wells at matthew.wells@thedailyworld.com.
