Garibaldi council eyes acquisition of Coast Guard buildings

The two buildings stand above Highway 101 at the West End of Acacia Avenue on Coast Guard property. The station house was the second housing built for members of the guard in the county, opening in 1943, and replacing the original station in Barview, which had opened in 1907.

Located directly across Highway 101 from the guard’s historic boathouse, the location was active until the current station opened in 1981.

Garibaldi City Manager Jake Boone said that the Coast Guard had contacted the city about the possibility of taking control of the buildings and that he and Mayor Katie Findling and members of the fire department had done a walkthrough of the property recently.

That walkthrough revealed that the building appeared to be in good shape structurally and asbestos had apparently been remediated, though aesthetically there were many issues. 

Boone said that the facility could serve as a replacement for Garibaldi’s city hall, with staff having outgrown the current space shared with the fire department and library. The station house is currently laid out with a lot of bedrooms that Boone said could be converted to offices and there would probably be excess space on the building’s second floor that the city could use for archives or lease out.

Garibaldi’s letter of intent will serve as notice to the Coast Guard that the city is serious about the acquisition and request more information about the building and access for further inspections. It will also allow city staff to put further time into exploring the possible acquisition.