The highly visible extension of the barn at Bayview Farm and Garden is just the beginning of changes in the appearance of the business at Bayview Road and Marshview Avenue.
The new space and new look is part of a reorganization that has been planned for some time, said owner Maureen Rowley.
“It will allow us to be more organized, efficient and comfortable,” she said.
The 30-by-30-foot two-story addition will have retail space on the ground floor, with in-floor heating that will make it more comfortable for customers and employees. The upper floor will provide more office space than is now available as well as an employee break room. The addition is expected to be ready for occupancy in January, Rowley said.
With the additional space, all the pet supplies will be moved into the barn with the feed and other animal-related items.
“We’ve never really had enough space to do the feed store well,” said Rowley.
The business also has designated one person as the feed department manager, she said. The “farm” of Bayview Farm and Garden happened about six years ago when Bill Lanning sold Bill’s Feed and Tack to the Rowleys.
The reorganization also will open up more space in the greenhouse building, which will allow the addition of merchandise and better display of items.
Employees are looking forward to having their first break room, Rowley said, because they will then have a place to warm up and “they won’t have to eat their lunch in their car.”
The new look also will appear between the two main buildings, with a plaza and more obvious entrance to both the garden and feed portions of the business, Rowley said.
The contractor, Ron Swenson of Langley, saved the barn siding from the end of the building and will re-use that on the addition. Rowley said the addition will cost about $180,000. After adding the cost of computers, furnishings and other items in the addition, she said, the total cost will be about $200,000.
“We’re grown our business slowly,” she said. “We have really paid our dues and are ready for this.”
