Fire District 3 to raze home next to Sequim station

Published 1:30 am Friday, July 3, 2026

The Sequim home formerly known for a large agave plant along North Fifth Avenue will be razed by Clallam County Fire District 3.

Fire commissioners unanimously agreed on June 16 to have district staff demolish the two-bedroom house at 305 S. Fifth Ave. in Sequim and remove its debris. They agreed for costs not to exceed $110,000.

Fire Chief Justin Grider said the costs will include materials, permit fees, asbestos abatement, debris removal, backfilling the property, and more.

Commissioners expressed their desire to minimize costs for the project with Jeff Nicholas saying he didn’t want it to be “the most expensive parking lot ever created.”

Staff originally recommended razing it for a parking lot as renovations and permits would have been too costly for the district, Grider previously said.

A majority of commissioners voted to sell the property to support the construction of a new Carlsborg fire station on the district’s property by the Operations and Training Center at 255 Carlsborg Road. Other properties have been sold in recent years to support this effort. The Fifth Avenue property built in 1946 was appraised at $309,408.

Community pushback in January from former and current staff and fire commissioners led current commissioners to reconsider selling it.

In April, Grider brought back more options for the property, which led him to recommend in June demolition by staff.

Its future use is to be determined, according to staff.

“A land bank in downtown Sequim is not a bad investment,” fire commissioner Mike Mingee said.

According to fire district documents, Grider wrote that the property could be used as a training opportunity prior to demolition, and that by razing it, it will remove the burden of maintaining a vacant property and aging home.

He said once the structures are removed, including the approximate 900 square foot home and garage on 0.18 acres, the excavation will be properly backfilled, topped with a base course, and the south yard fenced.

Grider also recommended keeping the parcel separate from Station 34’s footprint so the district can be flexible with its future use related to long-range planning.

District staff previously planned for the Johnston’s property to be used in the future for district use.

Clallam County Fire District 3 purchased the property in August 2015 from William and Isobel Johnston for $142,000 with an agreement they’d live there until their deaths.

The couple has since passed away with Isobel living at the home through early 2025 until her death at age 96.

The Johnstons’ home was known for its Agave Americana, less common in the area, which grew a 22-foot flower stock from summer to fall of 2023. After the plant died, local Master Gardeners helped remove the plant in November 2024 at Isobel’s request. They sold some of the plant’s baby offshoots at the Master Gardeners’ annual sale earlier this year.