HomeMy WebLinkAboutM081790
JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
A. C. DALGLEISH
DAVID G. DOUGLAS
ARCHIE BARBER, JR.
JAMES A. DE LEO
CHAIRMAN
VICE-CHAIRMAN
MEMBER
ALTERNATE
M IN UTE S
AUGUST
17,1990
The Board of Equalization convened at 9:00 a.m. with Chairman
A.C. Dalgleish, Vice-Chairman David G. Douglas, Member Archie
Barber, Jr. and Clerk Dierdrei Keegan present. The Board dis-
pensed with the reading of the Minutes of previous meetings and
proceeded with the scheduled hearings.
HEARINGS
SEATTLE FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Edward J. Miesen, MAl
1206 E. Pike Street, suite 695
Seattle, Washington 98122
Robert Shold was present on behalf of the Assessor's Office and
Robert Barnes was present on behalf of the Department of Revenue
(DOR). Dick Cormier of the Department of Revenue was present to
observe the proceedings. Chairman Dalgleish swore in Mr. Ed
Miesen, MAl who was present on behalf of Seattle First National
Bank, and Mr. Barnes (DOR). Mr. Miesen noted that he did not
have any objection to a representative from the Assessor's Office
or the Department of Revenue being present at an on-site inspec-
tion.
BOE: 90-021-C (a)
BOE: 90-021-C (b)
PN: 989 704 206
PN: 989 704 203
Prooertv Description: The description of this property encom-
passes both parcel number 989 704 206 which includes some land
and the improvements and 989 704 203 which is land only. The
land is 33,430 square feet zoned commercial and the building is
the Seattle First National Bank, Port Townsend Branch.
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page:
2
Pro~ertv Descrintion - continued: The bank, constructed in 1976,
has a corner location in the central business district of Port
Townsend with adjacent neighborhood businesses consisting of
retail, grocery, office, churches, apartments, and other banks.
The subject bank has two levels, a parking lot, and a three-
customer-lane drive-up teller facility. The main level includes
6,127 square feet, the mezzanine is 5,078 square feet for a total
square footage of 11,205 square feet. The improvements are
considered of average quality and well maintained.
The 33,430 square foot site has no slope and is rectangular with
average accessibility. One parking space is required for every
200 square feet of gross building area which means that 56 spaces
are required for the 11,205 square foot building. The site
improvements consist of asphalt, sidewalks, curbs and landscaped
areas.
Assessed Valuation:
Land Only:
Improvements:
Total Valuation:
$ 264,000
697.000
961,000
Petitioner Request:
Land Only:
Improvements:
Total Valuation:
$ 264,000
236.000
500,000
Assessed Valuation Breakdown:
Parcel Number 989 104 206
LAND: $132,000
IMPROVEMENTS: $697,000
TOTAL: $829,000
Parcel Number 989 104 203
LAND: $132,000
IMPROVEMENTS: NONE
TOTAL: $132,000
Parcel Numbers combined: $961,000
* * *
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page:
3
The following section of Minutes is a verbatim tran-
scription of the proceedings for Seafirst National Bank:
* * *
Petitioner's Testimonv: Edward Miesen. MAl: To begin, I've
reviewed the assessed value of a group of properties that
Seafirst owns and have selected ones that I think are over-
assessed. In light of recent market information, the Port
Townsend Branch is one of those. This is the first time that
I've appraised this Branch, and I know that it's, that it was
brought before the Board of Equalization in previous years, I'm
not sure how many times. A couple of years ago?
Member Archie Barber. Jr.: In the last eight years.
Edward Niesen. MAl: Okay, once. And ah, I, after reviewing
this, I believe that one value is correct but that the improve-
ment value is too high. The Assessor has a total value of
$961,000 and I appraised it at $500,000. I'm going to start by
talking about the banking industry, and construction of Branch
buildings, and today's market and how it's changed, and that
affects the values of this building greatly. This building was
built for First American Bank about 1976 and during, there's been
a major change in the 1980s in the size of branch banks, mainly
caused by deregulation of the banking industry and changes in
technology.
This building was designed for 30 employees and now they have an
average of 10 1/2 employees there. If you go in the building
you'll see that half the teller line of, ah, ten teller posi-
tions, is totally unused and that three or four teller positions
inside are usually occupied. The upstairs portion of this
building includes a storage room, some office area surrounding
the light wells which goes down to the main floor. And then,
another office, sort of storage room/copy room and a very large
lunch room, and then a conference room. They really don't use
this in the way it was designed and that affects the value.
The banking industry, since 1982, has gone through a lot of
changes, especially since this one was built in 1976. First of
all, the technology of banking has reduced the space needs of a
typical branch bank. By branch bank, I mean a full service bank
that has a vault, deposit boxes, and one that would offer resid-
ential loans and typical checking and savings. It used to be
that they designed a building like this and housed a business
loan department, commercial banking department, it would have a
residential real estate loan department there, it would also do
check proofing which is ah, accounting function within the
branch, and they'd also have a very large area for storage of
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page:
4
Edward Miesen. MAr continued: checks as they came in,
they would store copies of all those things. Microfiche has
changed the need for storage room drastically, they can take a
whole room and put it on one shelf now on microfiche. The
electronic bank machines, on their teller machines, have been
introduced since this one was built and mUltiplied, which has
caused the number of visits to a branch to be reduced severely.
So this Branch had 10 teller positions, some of them, all of them
would have been open at one time on a busy day, and now people
are doing their banking at their convenience in grocery stores,
Seven Eleven, at other banks, and probably all of us have had
experience of that.
Another reason that the visits to branch banks have been reduced
is that propentionaries and some pay checks are deposited elect-
ronically into the customers' account instead of being mailed to
the customer and then brought in by the customer. Another way of
reducing the number of visits. Let's see if I've missed anything
here. Oh, one big thing, those residential loan departments, the
commercial banking and business banking, which used to be in this
Branch, now are consolidated into a central office, so that if
you wanted to make an application for a home loan in Port Town-
send, we get an application from this Branch, fill it out, give
it to the Branch Manager, and she would immediately send a
facsimile copy of that to the home loan center in Seattle which
would then approve the credit and go through all of the hoops
that they need to go through and then send back an approval of
this approval to the Branch Bank.
The, most banks have done this. They consolidated their residen-
tial loan departments: Washington Mutual, Security Pacific, First
Interstate. And in just about every other large branch like
this, you see that the trend is very much the same. Banks, since
1982, have had to compete with each other a lot more than they
had in prior years. And, and that competition is accelerated
even more now as the competition for checking and savings dep-
osits is greater. How does this affect the value of the build-
ing?
Well, this building, as I said, was designed for three times the
number of employees that are actually there now. It's not
specific to this building, and it's not just a business decision
of Seafirst. It's, ah, it's a business decision by the industry
that they're consolidating functions using electronics and
microfiche to do the work that needs to be done in this Branch.
And, so, since 1982, the average size of new construction, and
type of new construction. The average size has been reduced from
what this one was, which is ah, I believe it's about 11,205
square foot building, down to an average size of maybe anywhere
between 1,500 square feet to 3,500 square feet. The average
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page:
5
Edward Miesen. MAl - continued: size, I, please turn to
page four [APPRAISAL REPORT AND REVIEW OF ASSESSED VALUATION PORT
TOWNSEND BRANCH SEATTLE FIRST NATIONAL BANK] in the Appraisal
Report, do you all have a copy of that? No? Well, okay, I'll
just refer to it then.
I've listed seven, let's see, eight facilities there that were
built by Seafirst, on page four, since 1982. And they range in
size from 396 square feet in West Olympia, to a high of 3,400
square feet in Spokane in Wandermere. The average size is 2,100
square feet.
Turning to the next page [page 5], there's another trend in
branch banking that's emerging which will be multiplied in the
future. And ah, that is the placement of branch banks in grocery
stores, and in large, specific retail stores like Castco, and
Shopco, and Home Club. Those branches are the kiosk type that
have ah, maybe four or five employees, two teller positions, they
serve the customers of that, of that store and have a synergistic
effect with the customers of the grocery store along with their
own customers. In other words, people can make one trip instead
of a trip to the bank and a trip to the grocery store. Olympic
Savings, in my report, I mentioned that Olympic Savings has just
placed 18 of these branches in Safeway grocery stores in this
State, mainly in the western part and they have a total of 26
branches. So 18 out of the 26 branches are 400 square feet in
size. These little branches are replacing the big ones, and the
reason they're doing this is to reduce their real estate costs.
Banks are just simply not building 10,000 square foot, 11,000;
12,000 square foot branches. And, if they do, they're not going
to be around too long because of the cost involved.
Now, in the valuation of the subject property, which is downtown,
with all that background, the average size, being 2,100 square
feet and also knowing that there are smaller branches going in,
safeways, which is the trend. Oh, I also wanted to mention one
more thing: There's another branch that I didn't put into this
report, which is here in Port Townsend. It's First Federal Bank,
up on the hill there, and I don't have the exact measurements,
but I think it's about 2,000 to 2,500 square feet. And that's
built this last year. Does anybody else know?
Assessor's Representative: Robert Shold: It's about 2,600.
Edward Miesen. MAl: Yeah, about 2,600 square feet, okay.
So, so that's a pretty good example of the trend that's happening
and it supports the argument.
The way I value this Branch Bank, is using all three approaches.
The traditional way of assessing these buildings is to merely use
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page:
6
Edward Miesen. MAl - continued: the Cost Approach. And
that, they would take the value of the land and estimate the
replacement cost, depreciate that, based on the number of years
it's been in existence and leave it at that. Well, cost does not
always equal value. And this case, the cost of the replacement
of this, this, these improvements is far greater than what it's
actually worth. Ah, so, therefore I developed the Income
Approach and also developed the Sales Comparison Approach.
I think that the Sales Comparison Approach should receive the
primary weight, although, ah, all three approaches are somewhat
difficult to develop because it's not a lot of activity down at
the branch banks. In other words, there, they um, if there are
any leases to review on branch banks, they are either out of this
area or they are too old or they're, well, just leave it at that.
Or, they're of a different quality construction that's impossible
to compare.
So, what I've done is I've valued the improvements based on
typical branch bank size; 3,000 square feet; and I've also valued
the rest of the building as office or retail space, recognizing
that there's a differential there and the rest of the building
has some value, but it doesn't have the same relative value as a
branch bank does. Because, if you go in this building, and you
walk around, you'll note that it's just a, ah, basically, the
upstairs is not necessary. They had a lunchroom up there, but
ah, you'll see that there's a vast area that's unused. Empty.
There's one desk upstairs, which is used two days a week by a
business banker, but they have the space there to put him in this
office, and they could easily put that person downstairs. And I
think the Branch Manager can point that out to you, in your
visit.
So anyway, I estimated the income on the Branch Bank at $10 a
square foot, that's triple net. The estimated rate of the
lunchroom, the storage room, the office area at $5 a square foot,
triple net. Now as a full service area, that might be $9 a
square foot and $14 a square foot. Um, which is higher than
anything downtown, of this size. I don't think YOU'll probably
find anything this size that would be available for rent, of this
quality. so, it'd be difficult to compare. I used the Capitali-
zation Rate of 10 and the Income Approach [Page 12 & 13] indi-
cates a value of $470,000. And that's with the 5% vacancy credit
which is pretty low considering the market.
Now the Cost Approach [Page 8 & 9] was developed, and you can
read it if you want, but basically that, the indication is
$480,000; and that was used, primarily built with Marshall Swift.
It also measures the amount of functional obsolescence in this
building, using the reference.
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page:
7
Edward Miesen. MAI - continued: There have been some recent
sales, but our building is 11,205 square feet and a lot of the
sales are much smaller around the, well, I have one here that's
1,620 square feet.
Chairman A. C. Dalqleish: Excuse me, and you say that
building is 11,205 square feet?
Edward Miesen. MAI: Right.
Chairman A. C. Dalgleish: Thank you.
Edward Miesen. HAI: And ah, and you have one comp here in
ah; I've gone out, outside of this area because I didn't find any
sales here. And, what I've done to analyze these building sales
[Valuation by Market Approach - Page 15 - 17J, I've got, ah nine,
thirteen sales and I have a couple to add. Ah, what I've done is
I've estimated the value of the land at the time of the sale and
that's using the comparables and also the Assessor's information.
And I've taken that away from the sales price and what's left is
the value in improvements. So, the differences of location will
be reflected in the land value and what's left over is the
depreciated value of improvements. And that, I've used that
value of the square foot to compare to this Branch, which is in
Port Townsend and while it's not perfect, it's a way that allows
you to compare across County lines, a lot more confidently.
One of the most recent sales was in Port Orchard and um, Seafirst
bought American Marine in about early '89, I believe. Along with
that came several branches. Seafirst already had a branch right
near this location, and closed the Branch and put it up for sale
and it sold in May of '90, just ah, about two months ago, three
months ago, for $195,000. And this was built in 1985, it's a,
it's a good quality building. So, for $195,000; about 2,961
square feet, and when you take the land value away that indicates
just under $31 a square foot for the improvements. And, and this
was a fair market transaction. There was no, there were no
deposits purchased with it, and no sale/lease back, which can
also affect the price.
Ah, there are three sales that we used from Snohomish County and
they indicate a range from $23.40 to $32.61 for the building
only.
And then, Kitsap County, the most recent sale there is a building
which, I would say is, well, it was built in 1929; remodelled in
1987 and I would say it's not as good quality as, as our subject.
That was at, ah $19.74 a square foot, also in May of 1990.
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page:
8
Edward Miesen. MAI - continued: I'll just mention that
yesterday, ah, this one is less comparable, in East Bremerton
there's a Pacific First Branch which is 3,900 square feet, which
is a lot closer to a suitable size in this market. And that one
is going at $360,000, which is reduced five, from $562,000.
So, by valuing it based on the Cost Approach, we get the high
value, and that value's not fair market value. That's ah, that's
a depreciated cost which is a convenient way of assessing prop-
erty but it doesn't always hit the market. And that's the way
the market, that ah, the depreciated cost is not equal to fair
market value.
So, in this range, of between $32 a square foot and $55 a square
foot, we're in that range on this one with about $45 a square
foot. And I think it's worth about $500,000.
I also think that if this building were put up for sale, that the
user that buys it may not be a Branch Bank. And in that case,
the value would be even less. Because, there would be some
conversion costs and, the ah, highest and best use as a Branch
Bank, to be continued to be used as a Branch Bank; but you'd also
have to recognize that the utility of the building has changed
since it was built and the market sales and what other Assessor's
think, the fair market value has come down to something less than
it's cost. so, I'll answer any questions if you want.
Chairman A. C. Dalaleish: In other words, you're placing
(unintelligible) whatever it is, your valuation on the building,
I assume is $236,000? That right?
Edward Miesen. MAI: Right. Oh, one more thing, there's a,
the lot size is 33,430 square feet and I question whether they
needed all that land with that building.
too?
Chairman A. C. Dalaleish: Including the parking out there
Edward Miesen. MAI: Yeah. Yeah.
Chairman A. C. Dalgleish: That whole block?
Edward Miesen. MAI: Well, we don't own the whole block.
Chairman A. C. Dalgleish: Well, no, it's ah...pardon me,
the land that the building sits on with the drive in and then the
parking all behind it: What'd you say?
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page:
9
Edward Miesen. MAl: Thirty three thousand, about 33,430.
Now, I question whether they needed all that and so I called the
Port Townsend Planning Department and asked Darlene Blumfield:
How many stalls are required for that bank use? In other words,
if they wanted to section off part of it and sell it, could they
do that? She said they needed one space for every 200 square
feet of gross building area, which amounts to 56 stalls required
parking. There are 50 stalls there. So based on this conver-
sation it was proven that there was an excess of, and that, that
parking required (interrupted).
Chairman A. C. Dalaleish: You say it requires 52 stalls?
Edward Miesen. MAl: Fifty-six, yeah, that would be 11,205
square feet.
Chairman A. C. Dalgleish: In other words, they're using all
of it then?
Edward Miesen. MAl: Well, I think probably there's some
space there that's vacant, but the question is: Would the City
allow them to build another building on it and rent it out? And
based on her reply, she said to meet 56 stalls, and they have 50,
so if they want to section off that land they would have to go
through ah, a special process, a conditional use permit or
something like that. For the, under the current legal restric-
tions on this building, they need 56 spots.
Vice-Chairman David Douglas: Actually, the current city
requirement in the downtown parking area is becoming one of the
most crucial issues. And development in downtown Port Ludlow,
ah, Port Townsend, because there are several people that are
asking for an opportunity to make major capital improvements and
the biggest deterrent to all of them is the availability of
parking spaces. And for that reason I think that you have to
consider the value of the land that you have to a certain extent.
Because of that crisis. As I understand it, one store offered to
rent or lease three of their parking stalls and they declined
because they wouldn't have met that variance because they were
already below the requirements: and if they leased any, why
they'd have to get a variance.
Edward Miesen. MAl: Right.
Vice-Chairman David Doualas: So, it's a very critical
parking situation.
Edward Miesen. MAl: I think Port Townsend's wise to do
that, otherwise you might end up with a traffic jam on main
street that people, or whatever, what's the street called?
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 10
DeDUtv Assessor Robert Shold: Water street.
Vice-Chairman David DOuglas: Water.
Edward Miesen. MAl: Of people looking for parking.
Vice-Chairman David Doualas: There are times when people
that live in the area don't come to Port Townsend, specifically
the weekends when there's a lot of tourist traffic, and parking
problems.
Edward Miesen. MAl: So my conclusion, that, just wanted to
get that last point, is that there's no excess land. If there
were I would have taken it out and then added it to the value.
You've probably dealt with that before.
Chairman A. C. Dalaleish: Any further questions at this
time? Mr. Barber?
Member Archie Barber. Jr.: I think I'll have to digest the
exhibit.
Chairma~ A. C. Dalgleish: I wanted to know if you wanted to
ask Mr. Miesen anything at this time. Mr. Barnes?
Assessor's Testimonv: Robert Barnes. Department of Revenue:
Thank you. In 1988 in September of 1988, 1 was requested by the
Jefferson county Assessor's Office to conduct an advisory app-
raisal on this Seattle First National Bank building in downtown
Port Townsend. I inspected the bank and did an investigation of
bank sales and rents and concluded that the land value for the
sUbject property, there are two planned parcels. I was requested
to do one parcel. That was the parcel that has the bank building
on it, and 1 estimated the land at $132,000 since we're talking
about the entire, or both parcels, ah, that would, the other
( interrupted) .
Chairman A. C. Dalgleish: How much, one thirty two?
Robert Barnes, Denartment of Revenue: That's correct, and
that's the same size as the second parcel, so that is a total
land value of $264,000.
Edward Miesen. MAl: So we don't disagree?
Robert Barnes. DeDartment of Revenue: No. That's correct.
We don't disagree. I worked a Marshall and Swift replacement
cost estimate for the subject property, classing the building as
a Class D building of good quality in very good condition. I
estimated the effective age of the building at ten years, using
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 11
Robert Barnes. Department of Revenue - continued: 6,127
square feet which is the mean floor area of the bank, as a bank.
six thousand, one hundred, twenty seven square feet. And the
second level, where, the mezzanine area of 5,078 square feet, I
applied a different cost. A cost from the Marshall Swift Manual,
which they indicate is applicable for mezzanines.
In reviewing my appraisal I discovered two points, which I wish
to correct at this time. I included an adjustment of $1.40 for a
heating and cooling and ventilation adjustment and in review of
that I entered my formula wrong and instead of adding $1.40 I
should have subtracted $1.40 from that. And also, I failed to
make an elevator deduction from the Marshall and Swift cost. The
cost included in, the cost in the Marshall and Swift Manual
includes the cost of an elevator in a Class C building and
because the building doesn't have an elevator, that cost needs to
be taken out. And the cost estimate of that was $1.70 which
would adjust the square foot cost for the bank area to $81.69 per
square foot.
Chairman A. C. Dalaleish: Eighty-one sixty?
Robert Barnes. Department of Revenue: Eighty-one sixty
nine. I adjusted that cost for the size of the bank and the
perimeter of the bank according to Marshall Swift formula to
arrive at an adjusted, or refined square foot cost of $82.54.
I applied current cost mUltipliers and a local multiplier to that
figure for a final cost estimate of $88.37 per square foot for
the main floor of the bank building. I added through, or added
to this figure a cost estimate for the canopy and for the asphalt
which totalled $15,935 and arrived at a total replacement cost
for the main floor of $557,348.
I followed the same procedure for the mezzanine. And I noticed
in my original appraisal, I failed to adjust for current cost and
the local multiplier on the mezzanine. After taking that into
consideration, the adjusted square foot cost is $32.52 per square
foot. The area of 5,078 square feet indicates a replacement cost
of the mezzanine of $165,161. One sixty one. I then depreciated
the improvements, again using the Marshall and Swift Manual as a
guide. The indication from the Marshall and Swift Manual is that
a bank that has an estimated life of 50 years when new, which the
class of bank that we're talking about has a 50 year estimated
economic life. Taking that into consideration, its' effective
age in my original appraisal I estimated at ten, but I have
revised that to its actual age of 14 years, indicates a deprecia-
tion amount of ten percent (10%). And that's because over the
life of a building, a building does not depreciate or lose value
in a straight line, but will lose value rapidly at the beginning
and then it will level off; and over the years with standard
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 12
Robert Barnes. Deoartment of Revenue - continued: upkeep
and repair the value loss will remain at a fairly constant level
or a slightly declining level. The total depreciated building
cost that I arrived at, on my revised cost approach is $650,000.
When the $264,000 total land value is added to that, the total
indicated value using the Marshall and Swift Replacement Guide
Manual is estimated to be $914,000.
Edward Miesen. MAl: Could I ask you a question?
Robert Barnes. Department of Revenue: Yes.
Edward Miesen. MAl: Is this the same form you used? 'Cause
you must have re-worked it. I have a total of eight twenty-nine
[$829,000 as the Total Capitalized Value of Property].
Robert Barnes. Deoartment of Revenue: That's correct, I
adjusted the cost for the um, I made an error and added in the
heating and ventilating cost instead of subtracting that.
Edward Miesen. MAl: Okay.
Robert Barnes. Deoartment of Revenue: And I also failed to
deduct the elevator deduction.
Edward Niesen. MAl: Okay.
Robert Barnes. Det)artment of Revenue: This is a copy of my
revised (interrupted).
Chairman A. C. Dalaleish: So your total replacement cost is
$914,000.
Robert Barnes. Deoartment of Revenue: The total value isn't
the Marshall and Swift. The actual depreciated replacement cost
of the building is $697,000 rounded off. Or, no, I'm sorry,
that's the wrong sheet, $650,000 rounded off.
For the Income Approach to value, when I did my investigation I
looked for bank leases and I located, or at that time I was aware
of two leases in Grays Harbor area for banking facilities. And
since then, I have located several others in the Grays Harbor
area. At the time that I did the appraisal I had the information
from a Rainier Bank Branch in Montesano, which was 4,000 square
feet in size, 4,009 square feet, Class C building, good quality,
which leased on a triple net basis, $12 a square foot. I ob-
tained this from the Branch Manager of that bank in 1988.
Chairman A. C. Dalaleish: Twelve dollars a square foot?
Board of Equal.ization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 13
Robert Barnes. Department of Revenue: Twelve dollars a
square foot on a net, triple net basis. And in 1987 I obtained
information from the Branch Manager of a Rainier Bank in Aber-
deen, and Rainier Bank is now Security Pacific Bank. From a
Class C, good quality bank, that was 15,481 square feet, in 1987
it, net rent that was paid was $13.16 per square foot. The Grays
Harbor County Assessor's Office has since re-checked that infor-
mation in 1989 and at that time they were paying $17.83 per
square foot on a triple net basis.
Chairman A. C. Dalqleish: Seventeen what?
Robert Barnes. DeDartment of Revenue: Seventeen dollars and
eighty-three cents. In the Grays Harbor area there are also
three other Security Pacific Banks which are paying net lease,
triple net leases, lease payments for their area:
One is in Elma. It's a 6,110 square foot Class D, average
quality bank which rents for $9.00 a square foot. Now this
information's obtained by the Grays Harbor County Assessor's
Office from the Branch Manager in 1990.
There's a Security Pacific Branch in McCleary, which is a
Class D building of fair quality, 2,608 square feet, the
annual rent that is paid on that is $8.00 per square foot.
Grays Harbor Assessor's Office obtained that information
from the Branch Manager in 1989.
There's a Security Pacific Bank in Oakville which is a Class
C, average quality bank, this bank was built in 1909 but
remodeled in 1982. It's a significantly smaller bank than
the subject that we're talking about. It has 1,062 square
feet but the annual rent on a triple net basis for that bank
is $20.53 per square foot. That was obtained in 1988 from
the Grays Harbor county Assessor's Office. And the Oakville
Branch also sold for $208,865 in July of 1988. But because
of size, it's not comparable with our sUbject property.
Now on this basis, and talking to ah, talking with several Bank
Managers and personnel, I determined that $12 per square foot on
a net basis for the bank lease would be market rent for the
subject property.
Then taking into consideration the mezzanine, I determined that
if that bank were to be on the open market for lease at that
time, in 1989, that it probably wouldn't lease at the same rate
as a branch bank. At that time I determined that $5 per square
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 14
Robert Barnes. Department of Revenue - continued: foot on a
full service basis with 25 percent expenses for maintenance and
operations, upkeep of that area, would be sufficient. And that
indicated a total of fair market rent on an annual basis for the
subject property of $98,914.
I estimated vacancy and credit loss allowance for the subject
property at 10 percent, which at that time, was pretty typical in
the ah, that may be a little high, and right now that's a 10
percent vacancy and credit loss allowance, would be a fair
amount.
Edward Miesen. MAl: But that only applies to the mezzanine
area. Because twenty-five thirty-nine is 10 percent of: Do you
guys have this page?
it.
Chairman A. C. Dalaleish: No, we're going to have to review
Edward Miesen. MAl: I think you should get copies of this
because I'd like to talk about it.
Robert Barnes. Denartment of Revenue: I think the one that
he's referring to is in, is, is from the appraisal.
Edward Miesen. MAl: Yeah.
Robert Barnes. Denartment of Revenue: See this?
Edward Niesen. MAl:
I called you [about], and
thirty-nine is 10 percent
area.
I called you about this. This is what
then you said, well that twenty-five
of the mezzanine area, not the total
* * * * *
A break was taken to enable the Clerk to make copies of the
papers being reviewed before transcription continued.
* * * * *
Edward Miesen. MAl: Well, we were at this ah, point on the
vacancy, and I want to point out that although he said that
there's a 10 percent amount for vacancy, he's only applied that
to the mezzanine area.
Robert Barnes. Department of Revenue: That's correct, and
that was, at that time I felt that because the Bank was owner
occupied, that now this was at the time of appraisal, the bank
was owner occupied that they wouldn't experience vacancy because
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 15
Robert Barnes. Department of Revenue - continued: if the
property were to be put on the market, then there, there is the
potential for a vacancy credit loss. So I have the, some adjust-
ments to that figure. And this, well, I don't know, I'll have to
do an analysis of that type of building, that is Class D.
And Mr. Mock told me that they reserved some of the excess land
that they purchased for that site for a future expansion of the
Branch. There's a possibility that they may be expanding the
size of that branch. And also, Interwest Savings and Loan, last
year, increased their size from roughly 3,000 square feet of
banking area to just under 5,000 square feet of banking area. So
the contention that 3,000 square feet of banking area is all that
he needs is a little miSleading.
Vice-Chairman Douglas: Do we have any information on the
evaluation of the savings and Loan there, greater, ah Great
Northwest Savings and Loan? That's, that's a brick building.
Edward Miesen. MAl: I don't have it with me.
Vice-Chairman Douqlas:
probably take a look at that
terms of valuation.
No, I don't mean with you. We could
and see what's going on there in
Chairman A. C. Dalgleish: Well Gentlemen, we can play
shuttlecock with this thing back and forth. Do you have anything
to add to that?
Edward Miesen. MAl: I just want to say that I don't see
( interrupted) .
Chairman A. C. Dalgleish: We're going to have to do some;
without any ballpark guessing on this thing.
Edward Miesen. MAl: Yeah, and you can call me if you have
any questions. I may want to go down and look at it, just once
more, and look around upstairs. But, ah, when you re-worked the
appraisal today, I want to make this clear that you recommend a
change from $961,000 to $791,000.
Robert Barnes. DeDartment of Revenue:
ninety one thousand. Yes I do. Correcting
the best thing on that.
Seven hundred and
the report would be
Chairman A. C. Dalqleish: We have made note of that.
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 16
Robert Barnes. Deoartment of Revenue:
say that in my opinion there is a potential
be converted to other uses at minimal cost.
best use of that building is not limited to
I would just like to
for that building to
So the highest and
a branch bank.
Chairman A. C. Dalaleish: Mr. Barber, do you have any
questions?
Member Archie Barber. Jr.: Mr. Barnes, what you just said,
that the facilities are adaptable to other businesses, would that
be as broad as multiple businesses in there or a business?
Robert Barnes. Deoartment of Revenue: It would probably be
limited to a business without substantial remodelling and cost to
the building. It would have to be to a building, to a business,
to a county organization, or maybe, possibly the City to extend
their offices.
Edward Miesen. MAl: So do you think that, I know you want
to wrap this up, but do you think that it would be worth more as
something other than a bank?
Robert Barnes. Department of Revenue: I think the building
has a value because it's there. I don't think that the current
use of that building should be construed to restrict the building
potential, I guess.
Edward Miesen. MAl: 'Cause, when I said that I think the
highest value would be as a branch bank, and to appraise it as an
office or retail building, you come up with a lower value than
that, appraised at here. So.
Robert Barnes. Deoartment of Revenue: Then I submitted the
sale of a Credit Union Building that was converted to an office,
which indicates a substantially higher value than either of your
approaches and also speaking of your appraisal, I would like to
ask you, I guess, to confirm your statement at the closing of
your appraisal that based upon the previous analysis and placing
emphasis on the cost and income approaches that they indicated
for market value of the sUbject property is etc. Do you still
feel that primary emphasis should be placed on the cost and the
income approaches to value for the property? Or are you stating
that the sales that you submitted should be (interrupted).
Edward Miesen. MAl: I think, well, I'm considering adding
them together, and I believe the value is 500,000. Ah, one thing
I want to mention too, this is from Bart Phillips, do you know
Bart Phillips? Real estate agent in town?
Clerk Keeaan: Economic Development Council.
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 17
Edward Miesen. MAl: Oh, Economic Development Cancel.
Clerk Keeaan: Council.
Edward Miesen. MAl: He says that typical rates for first
floor Water Street locations are 75 cents a square foot and $9.00
per square foot per year. The second floor is 40 cents per
square foot, or $4.80 a square foot per year. Now I've used
$5.00 for the upper, which is pretty much in line with that and
ah, my rate for the bank is $10.00 which is higher. That's why
I'm making that statement, I think this value's highest and best
use.
Robert Barnes. Department of Revepue: Also, I wanted to
thank the Commission for reminding me of this. On your income
approach you, there's roughly 2,900 square feet of area that you
attribute no value to at all. No leasable value, and I think
that, if that building were to be put on the market to be leased,
that that area would command a rent. If you're going to lease a
building you either lease it on a gross leasable area or you
lease it on a net rent or net, net usable area. And, if you rent
it on a gross leasable area and you pay a substantially lower
amount than you would if you were doing it on a net usable area.
Vice-Chairman David Douglas: In other words, you're
saying that a different type of use they'd use all the area,
whereas his evaluation was that there was a certain portion of
the raised mezzanine that was not usable at all.
Edward Miesen. MAl: And the areas, I have the ah, arch-
itects calculation of the building and it lists the areas that
are office, teller lines, and so forth. You're applying rent to
the stairwell, now no one's going to pay rent for the stairwell.
There's two stairwells in there. Also, there's (interrupted).
Robert Barnes. Department of Revenue: I beg to differ with
that. I, the office at our building which is, leased that
building, gross leasable area, and pay a rent for everything
including the stairwell, and there's three sets of stairways.
Edward Miesen. MAl: Well, the rent can always be adjusted
to reflect something that is equivalent to usable area.
Robert Barnes. Decartment of Revenue: Well, correct, that
was what I was saying about gross leasable area and net usable
area. I mean there's a difference, but the differences are
reflected in the rents they can pay. You take a net usable area
and you pay substantially higher amount per square foot, than if
you're leasing the entire building.
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 18
Vice-ChairmR~ David DOU9las: You take the, I can't
remember the name of it, something or other [Flagship Landing]
Landing down there where they have used the second floor, but a
large portion of this is not there, I mean its just like the
bank, you look down from the upper floor and I'm sure that the
rents on that thing are based on the net rate usable area and for
each floor.
Robert Barnes. Denartment of Revenue: Right, and just
because an area isn't being utilized, doesn't mean it doesn't
provide some value to that business. A lobby area, you know
maybe it has plants, etcetera in it, and they create an aesthetic
value to customers coming in. And they may like to come into
that particular building because it's a nice setting. So there
is some value in these areas here.
Chairman A. C. Dalqleish: I think we've discussed this,
unless you've got another question?
* * *
End of verbatim transcription.
* * *
Denartment of Revenue Exhibits:
Exhibit #la:
Exhibit #1b:
Exhibit #2:
Exhibit #3:
Exhibit #4:
Exhibit #5:
Income Analysis as originally presented.
Income Analysis as corrected during hearing.
Bank Lease comparables.
Calculator Cost Form.
Database Information from Shelton, WA re: Sale of
Simpson Credit Union
A Corrected Version of Income Analysis from Robert
Barnes as stated in the hearing.
Exhibit #6:
Board of Equalization Information:
Exhibit #7:
sign In Sheet.
Copy of 1987 File Information from Seattle First
National Bank Appeals: BOE 87-048-C and BOE 87-
049-R.
Board of Equali~ation Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 19
Seattle First National Bank Exhibit:
Exhibit #8:
Miesen and Associates Analysis "Appraisal Report
And Review of Assessed Valuation Port Townsend
Branch Seattle First National Bank".
Board Action: After reviewing the exhibits presented by Mr.
Miesen and Mr. Barnes, the Board took the petition under advise-
ment. An on-site inspection was scheduled.
BERG, Thomas
281 Old Schoolhouse
Sequim, Washington
BOE: 90-007-LO
PN: 902 042 025
Road
98382
CONTINUED FROM MINUTES OF JULY 19. 1990. (Qages 8 and 9)
The Board and Clerk were present as were Robert Kingsley on
behalf of the Assessor's Office, and Mr. Thomas Berg. The Board
made note that they conducted an on-site inspection of the
sUbject property on August 10, 1990.
Legal DescriDtion: This unimproved site is 54 T29 R2W, Tax 27,
1.36 acres in Jefferson County, Neighborhood Code 5411, and Land
Use Code 9100.
Petitioner Testimony: Mr. Berg noted that the last time Mr.
Kingsley had completed a residential appraisal he'd found that
the sale price was $6,500 on his listing. Mr. Berg maintains
that this is not the sale price, but that it was a dispropor-
tioning of the money by the title insurance company. He
explained that he paid $20,000 for the whole 4.86 acres of land,
1.36 of which is in Jefferson County. The previous sale of the
same property was around $23,000 a few years ago. He thinks that
the money should have been proportionate with the acreage.
Mr. Berg stated that the 1.36 fraction of property in Jefferson
County should be valued at about $5,500 [$20,000 divided by 4.86
= $4,115 x 1.36 = $5,597 rounded up to the nearest dollar]. Mr.
Berg also explained that when $6,500 of the sale was allocated to
Jefferson County, Clallam County didn't like the $13,500 left so
the County immediately reassessed the property to $14,240 for 3.5
acres for a total of $4,068.57 an acre. Mr. Berg feels the
Jefferson County portion of the property should be valued at
$3,000 [$3,000 divided by 1.36 = $2,205.88 an acre].
Board of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 20
Assessor's Testimony: Mr. Kingsley explained that he called
Clallam County and that they made a note on their worksheet to
take into consideration the overall valuation and to contact
Jefferson County to come to an agreement regarding the revalua-
tion in 1991. The Assessor provided the following exhibits:
Exhibit #1:
Exhibit #2:
Exhibit #3:
Exhibit #4:
Exhibit #5:
Residential Appraisal Report on subject property.
Computer Field Sheet for subject property.
Statutory Warranty Deed for subject property.
Real Estate Excise Tax Form for subject property.
Irregular Tract map for sUbject property.
Board OUestions: Vice-Chairman Douglas confirmed that the home
on the property is on the Clallam County side.
Chairman Dalgleish asked why the petitioner purchased this
property?
Mr. Berg explained that he bought the property for wood and that
although the previous owners considered building a log cabin, he
felt the land was too hilly to build on. He noted that the
previous owner claimed to have a septic there.
Vice-Chairman Douglas asked if there were any sales in the
immediate area?
Robert Kingsley explained that there may be sales in the area,
but he has not researched this as he felt the subject property
unique in being in the middle of a switchback. He noted that he
thought adjustments would have to be made for topography and use
reasons. He did not present comparables.
Board Action: The Board took the petition under advisement and
decided to make a determination after further consideration.
BOard of Equalization Minutes: August 17, 1990
Page: 21
OTHER BUSINESS OF THE BOARD
There being no further business before the Board, the Board
adjourned until September 5, 1990.
APPROVED BY:
DATE APPROVED: XTO/!;E/l }7. /990
.
~-I~I
A.C.D SH, CHAIRMAN
ATTESTED
~A'Q tm!~~
ARCHIE L. ER, JR., ER