The owners of the Chimacum Corner Farmstand recently acquired an adjoining piece of property, but their plans for it remain largely nebulous.

Katy McCoy and Phil Vogelzang, co-founders and co-owners of the Chimacum Corner Farmstand at the intersection of Chimacum Road and Highway 19, confirmed they purchased “nearly six acres of mostly undeveloped land that the store sits on.”

According to McCoy, the property is primarily zoned commercial, with just under an acre that’s zoned rural-residential, and it neighbors the 15.7-acre Chimacum Commons property, owned by the Jefferson Land Trust.

“The last time this property exchanged hands was during the 1970s, when Patrick Smith, a.k.a. ‘Smitty,’ assembled the large tract north of the highway,” said McCoy, who added that Smith was the owner of “Bill’s Garage,” the gas station and car wash south of Rhody Drive. “He bought the six parcels from various owners, erected the building now housing the Corner Store, and opened Chimacum Auto Parts, which operated from 1974 to 2000.”

McCoy said she and Vogelzang are “thrilled,” as they’ve attempted to purchase this piece of property ever since 2016.

“It’s hard to invest confidently in a business when you only have short-term leases,” McCoy said. “Our current lease was due to run out in 2025, without any renewals. Over the last 13 years, the store has become increasingly dear to us, our staff and our community. It also plays a vital role in supporting our area’s farmers and food artisans. Uniting the business with the land will help, big time, to secure the store’s future.”

When asked what they would do with the undeveloped land, McCoy admitted, “We don’t know yet, which is okay,” even as she acknowledged some of their first work, such as enlarging the store’s septic system, wouldn’t be “glamorous.”

“We look forward to working with the Jefferson Land Trust and Olympic Housing Trust, as they develop plans for the Chimacum Commons property,” McCoy said. “There’s growing enthusiasm around developing a local food hub on the property, to help farmers and producers store, process and distribute their goods, to schools, restaurants, food banks, and other public and private entities.”

McCoy concluded that there are “lots of inspiring ideas, all still in the squishy dream stage,” but plenty of reason for them to celebrate in the meantime.