South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District staff have begun the process of searching for a new home base after Island County officials notified the district about their intention to reclaim their offices.

Ryan Beach, director of Facilities for the county, notified the parks and rec district staff the county’s intent to terminate the lease at the end of the current contract, which is Dec. 31, 2024. County staff plan to use the offices for their own purposes.

Business Manager Carrie Monforte wrote in a memo to the parks and rec board of commissioners that district administration offices are included in the initial design plans for the proposed South Whidbey Aquatic Recreation Center. A $27 million bond request for the pool is set for the November ballot. Architects working on the project reported that if all goes according to plan, the facility should open in the late summer of 2025.

But in the meantime, the district’s offices will have to move elsewhere.

Monforte asked Beach if the lease could be terminated if suitable accommodations are found sooner, and he said yes. She also asked if there is any leeway in extending the lease a bit if they are unable to find a new location, to which he responded that it would need to be approved by the county commissioners or the county administrator.

Brian Tomisser, the new parks and rec director, plans to reach out to the South Whidbey School District regarding possible space at the former South Whidbey Elementary School South Campus.

The move will have unknown budgetary impacts, Monforte wrote in her memo. Currently the district pays the county a base monthly rent of $1,740, but receives a $1,300 credit for paying utilities, janitorial services and landscape care for the entire property.