Port of Coupeville commissioners voted Wednesday to remove the caretaker cottage that has long sat on Greenbank Farm.

The commissioners floated several options for how the old house could be torn down and what could be done with the lot on which it currently sits once it is gone. These questions will remain a subject of discussion in the coming months.

While the caretaker cottage used to house Greenbank personnel, the building has since dilapidated past the point of safe use. Port property manager Kelly Webb told port commissioners that an inspector identified more than 44 serious safety concerns with the cottage, including that it was not put on a foundation when it was moved to its current location, and much of its substructure has degraded.

Webb said the inspector’s estimate shows that the cost to repair the building would be astronomical; just the most fundamental repairs could cost anywhere from $350,000 to $500,000. These figures do not include items such as flooring or appliances.

“We would never recoup the cost of that,” Webb said.

Commissioners agreed that it was not worth the repair costs to save the cottage and voted unanimously to have it removed.

The commissioners also agreed to look into various removal methods. Ideas for removal included allowing Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue to burn it down in a training exercise or simply having it demolished and hauled away.

The removal of the cottage will free up the land it currently occupies at Greenbank Farm for other uses. Though the area is currently zoned for commercial use, Webb and the commissioners entertained a variety of ideas.

One option is to contribute the land to the battle against the island’s ongoing affordable housing crisis by constructing a quadruplex or a tiny home community with a shared garden or courtyard space. Webb also suggested expanding the gardens, installing a food truck lot, or constructing a multi-use building for agricultural, commercial, educational or myriad other purposes.

Port commissioners and staff will continue to develop and consider various possibilities moving forward. Webb said she hopes to see commissioners include Greenbank residents and regular visitors in the decision.

“Greenbank Farm is very highly regarded in the community here,” she said. “I think it’s really important that we make this not just an economic decision, but something that we wrap the community around and keep them involved in this process.”