Owners of Snoqualmie based Sigillo Cellars have officially purchased a vacant lot at the corner of Railroad Avenue Southeast and Southeast King Street in downtown Snoqualmie.

The property — known as the King Street lot — has been considered as a possible location to expand the Sigillo Cellars wine business since 2016. Father and son, Mike and Ryan Seal, have operated Sigillo Cellars tasting room in the city since 2012. The Seals have planned a new wine production facility for the lot and will also include retail space for wine tasting and sales.

King Street lot is currently a vacant property, used mostly for parking. It sits in front of the riverside Sandy Cove Park, which is not part of the sale.

In the city’s announcement of the closure of the sale, community development director Mark Hofman noted the building would be consistent with the concepts presented as part of the purchase and sale agreement.

With the purchase complete, Sigillo Cellars must now submit architectural plans and apply for building permits and Historical Design Review Board approval. Construction of any infrastructure, foundation, or building can only occur once the permits and final design are approved.

The city does require improvements to Falls Avenue Southeast, the road between the lot and Sandy Cove Park. Any street improvements would also need to be approved before construction began.

While the sale has been in the works for years, the final decision was partly informed by the council’s recent clarification of downtown building height regulations. The city of Snoqualmie had conflicting zoning codes for parts of the downtown district that specified allowed height of buildings as either 30 or 35 feet. That meant any building would have to conform to the most strict regulation in place, capping the allowable height at 30 feet.

At an Aug. 27 meeting, the Snoqualmie City Council voted to adjust the allowable height to 35 feet to allow developers more space after incorporating flood prevention measures in the building. According to the city’s project webpage, the height limit for the new Sigillo Cellars structure would not be taller than 35 feet from street level to the roof.

After the council decision was made, Mike Seal said he met with the architect and builder and decided they could work with the 35-foot limit. Seal now will meet again with the architect to begin work on the initial conceptual drawings to submit for design review for the city. Sometime later this winter they hope to apply for permits, he said.

“One of the main things that led us to this decision, besides the height restriction, was the community, our patrons, our wine club members. We thank all of them for the growth we’ve had in Snoqualmie since 2012,” Seal said. “Without their support we wouldn’t have been able to move forward. We are very thankful to be in Snoqualmie, we love the community, we love our customers, wine club members, and for us to be able to stay there is important to us.”

A conceptual drawing of the front of the building from a presentation in December 2017. The goal of the designers was to make it fit in with the historic aesthetic of the downtown area. The design will have to be adjusted with the 35-foot height limit in place. (Courtesy Photo)