After exploring the idea of relocating the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District offices to Langley Middle School, parks commissioners decided against the move on Wednesday evening.

The decision was made at the monthly commissioners meeting.

Parks Director Doug Coutts did a cost analysis on the current administration building, located on Maxwelton Road next to Community Park, and the possible new location. The building the district considered moving into was the old school district administrative office, the southernmost building on the Langley Middle School campus.

Coutts found that the district’s current annual expenses were just under $12,000. By comparison, the district would need to shell out more than $13,000, which he said would put the district over its annual budget.

The building would be more expensive than their current home despite the school district offering free rent if the parks district maintained the middle school sports fields. Coutts said the cost of maintaining the fields and the building’s utilities were too much for the district to handle.

“Depending on how much work they wanted us to do over there, it’d require a seasonal, if not full-time employee,” Coutts said.

Commissioners also voiced concern about the administrative offices not being located next to Community Park.