Facebook Question: What Should The City Do With The Kobayashi House?

Five years after it acquired the 4.8-acre , University Place continues to find problems with the house that came with the deal.

Over the past year, the house's renters discovered mold growing under the carpets, and the home's kitchen caught on fire.

On Tuesday, the University Place City Council is scheduled to get an update on the home, which is located on the Kobayashi Preserve near Leach and Chambers Creeks in the city's southern border.

"While I think everyone agrees that this is a beautiful site and it will be a key trail head location once the trail is complete," wrote Public Works and Parks Director Gary Cooper in a memo to the City Council, "before we proceed with any remediation or repairs to the current house, I think it is timely to ask."

"Given our current financial situation, is this the best use of money, and does council want to continue with (the) original adopted plan or should other options be explored?" 

UP purchased the land for more than $650,000 with Pierce County Conservation Futures grant money, as well as $74,000 out of its own pocket.

Today, volunteers and city staff have turned the property into a natural amenity for the public that includes markers, a trail and a footbridge over the creek.

But the city must decide what to do with the property's home. In 2008, a consultant worked with the city to help produce a master plan for the Kobayashi Preserve. One of the recommendations that came out of those meetings was to demolish the house, turn the house's pool area into a shelter and build public restrooms.

The UP Parks and Recreation Committee agreed with everything except the home's demolition. It recommended the home could remain a public space and that the city could find a caretaker. City officials agreed but couldn't remodel or improve the house because it didn't have the money.

In April, the city entered into a six-month lease with a renter, but a month later, the renter discovered a problem - mold was growing in one of the bedrooms.

"Upon further inspection, city staff removed carpeting and found the entire floor black with mold. Further mold (was) found on sheet rock, as well as rotting wall studs."

"Mold appeared to come from water from failing shower enclosure. In addition, mold growing on back of drapes in house. It appears this was due to single-pane window in house."

The mold-related health concerns meant UP could not extend the renter's lease beyond September. The city hasn't explored how much it will cost to fix the mold problem.

But the city's problems didn't end there.

In September, about two weeks before the lease ended, a fire ignited in the home's kitchen. The renter was home, and authorities determined it started somewhere near the stove range hood. It resulted in extensive fire, smoke and water damage to the kitchen and the rest of the house, but the city got an $88,122 check from its insurance provider.

The city still wants to offer more parking spaces, convert the house's pool room into a public meeting room and make other improvements.

But a discussion they will have to have is whether it's worth it to keep the Kobayashi home.

University Place Patch wants to hear what you think. We've posted a question on our Facebook page:

"What should the city do regarding the home at its Kobayashi Preserve, particularly given the mold and other problems the structure faced over the past year?"

You can share your thoughts by visiting our Facebook discussion area here.