The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office is relocating its Lopez Island substation to a new site this week as officials transition out of a longtime leased space.
The substation will now operate from 2467 Fisherman Bay Road, located behind the county’s Public Works building and equipment shed, according to the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.
An open house will be scheduled after the move is complete to introduce the new location to the community.
The relocation comes after the Sheriff’s Office had been renting space from the Lopez Island Fire District for several years. The fire district notified the county in March 2025 that it would not extend the lease as it looks to expand its own operations, prompting the search for a new site.
County officials reviewed relocation options throughout 2025, with updates presented during council meetings in June and August. A community meeting was also held in September to discuss the transition.
To reduce costs, the county opted to use a surplus modular building obtained from Island County and place it on existing county-owned property. The site already has access to utilities and offers a central location for both public access and emergency response coordination.
“The costs to us were transportation and retrofitting of the new portable, which was much less than any other options at this time,” County Manager Jessica Hudson said.
The modular unit measures approximately 26 by 38 feet and is being installed on the Public Works parcel along Fisherman Bay Road.
The move is scheduled to take place between April 21 and April 23, with county Facilities and IT teams handling setup and connections. Once operations are fully up and running, the Sheriff’s Office plans to host an open house for residents.
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