Two long-awaited demolition projects received permits last week, the Kmart building east of Port Angeles and the shellfish processing building on Oyster House Road.

A building permit also was issued for a $13.6 million Walmart Supercenter to be built on the Kmart site at 3471 E. Kolonels Way.

Walmart officials first confirmed in October 2005 the company planned to build a Supercenter - a Walmart department store plus a supermarket - on the old Kmart store site north of U.S. Highway 101 between Kolonels Way and North Masters Road.

The proposed 195,293-square-foot store would be 82,000 square feet larger than the

Sequim store and more than 66,000 square feet larger than its current Port Angeles store. It would take about 10 months to build.



19.8-acre site

The 80,500-square-foot and 9,000-square-foot buildings to be demolished sit on 19.8 acres across U.S. Highway 101 from the existing Walmart that is slated for closure.

Sequim Planning Director Dennis Lefevre said earlier this year the company's 2003 building approval for its Sequim store included an additional 68,000 square feet west of the existing store for a potential Supercenter, but company officials haven't contacted the city about increasing the Sequim store's size.

Meanwhile, Clallam County received a $20,000 demolition permit for the old Oyster House building at 292 Oyster House Road in Clallam County's Dungeness Landing Park.



Pier may remain

Joel Winborn, Clallam County's parks, fair and facilities division manager, said earlier this year the pier would be assessed after the building was demolished.

The wooden and concrete structure sits facing the Strait of Juan de Fuca on 19.6 acres, four miles north of Sequim.

It includes a restroom, pumphouse, water tank, storage building, seafood processing building and a pier.

The Clallam County commissioners were told in May 2008 the building and pier were in "extremely poor condition" and should be condemned.

Reach Brian Gawley at bgawley@

sequimgazette.com.