The city of Kent selects location of new police station despite criticism from property owners

The new Kent Police Department will be located between College Street and Depeyster Street, across from the fire station. The city has been busy purchasing multiple properties on College Street although with some dismay from property owners.

Despite some criticism from property owners, the new location will be necessary for police to do their job more efficiently.

“It’s centrally located, and that helps in the case of emergency,” said police Lt. Jim Prusha.

The new police station isn’t scheduled to be finished until spring 2017, but the long wait will be filled with the city spending a lot of money in an effort to improve downtown Kent.

“We are starting to drill down,” said Public Service Director Eugene Roberts.

Roberts and his team are eager to begin the long process in building the new station after winding down the 13 possible sites to College Street.

“We are using 100 percent of our money,” said Roberts. The money came from a citizen vote on an income tax increase from this past November. After almost a year since Issue Four passed, the city has been busy purchasing properties.

“Buying property exceeds the budget,” said Roberts. It’s expensive because the city has to consider things like public parking, relocation costs, rental properties and environmental issues. The city plans to begin demolition in 2015.

Kent City Council might begin eminent domain process

Eminent domain means that the government has the right to take away private property from the owner and make it available for public use while paying the owner compensation.

Kent City Council used eminent domain to purchase seven properties in August. On Sept. 17, the city considered adding four more properties on the north side of College Street.

Steven Mileski and his wife, whom are with the company S.M. Poulton LLC, own all four properties recently acquired by the city. Mileski has said that he and his wife do not want to give up any of the properties they own, which are rented out to students.

People have been trying to buy the Mileski properties for years, according to the Record-Courier on Sept. 19, however, it’s important to them financially and sentimentally that Mileski and his wife do not sell their properties.

Kent City Council see’s the properties on the north side of College Street as important for the new police station.

“This is the total land mass that needs to be required,” said Roberts. The site is important because of the relocation cost, and it meets the environmental standards reported to the city.

The new Kent police station is on its way to being built even though there is opposition to some of the properties the city is pursuing. The current police station was built in 1924, and it has gone under numerous renovations and repairs to remain open. Kent police just want a new station and they’re ready to begin working in a better building.

“As long as we get a new building it doesn’t matter to me. It’s going to be a great design,” said Prusha.