Othello City Council wrestles with vintage downtown, modern parking needs

OTHELLO — The former Othello Public Library will be up for sale after Othello City Council members voted to declare the land and building surplus, but not before a discussion about parking. 

The building, 101 East Main St., served as the city’s library until 2025, when it moved to new quarters across the street. City Administrator Aaron Garza told council members the city doesn’t have an identified use for the building, which is old and probably will need upgrades in the long term. 

The property was appraised for about $646,700, Garza said.  

The proposed sale also includes a paved lot behind the building, and that prompted a question from Othello resident Bob Carlson. 

Carlson said parking is limited along Main Street, and the paved lot is used by customers at other businesses.  

“My concern is if that lot gets sold, there’s going to be no place to park,” Carlson said.  

The old library is in the original layout of the city of Othello, a plan that dates back to the 1910s, when parking concerns were a lot different. Council member Chris Dorow said the Othello Planning Commission discovered modern parking regulations and the vintage layout were not entirely compatible. 

Dorow was planning commission chair, and said downtown traffic and parking came up during a discussion of a business doing extensive remodeling.  

“They did a major redo of the business, and because of our rules at the time, they were required to add parking in an area where you absolutely can’t add parking,” Dorow said. “That was one of the reasons why we changed to be more consistent with that kind of more historical commercial area.” 

The rules would’ve required a building owner who wanted to remodel an existing building to do something that Dorow said would be impossible.  

“They would have had to add a parking garage somewhere where there’s no ability to add a parking garage,” Dorow said.  

Council member Darryl Barnes said the city doesn’t have a lot of options to alleviate parking problems in the old downtown, given the layout. Converting one of the few parking options from public to private might affect other businesses in the area, Barnes said. 

“I just want to make sure we’re not a business killer,” he said.  

Dorow said retaining it as a public parking lot probably would limit interest in the property.  

“Somebody buying that building – if they want to do something grander than the type of businesses that are already there, they have to address, and probably keep, the parking,” Dorow said. “I can’t imagine a major business in there, that doesn’t have parking available, being successful.”  

Council members ultimately opted to sell the entire property as one unit.