The City of Issaquah is currently in negotiations with The Green Car Company, which is considering a move from their current Bellevue headquarters.

Susan Fahnestock, owner of The Green Car Company, is scheduled to meet with city and chamber officials, including Mayor Ava Frisinger, in the next few days.

That meeting was scheduled to take place in Issaquah last week, but was reschedule due to illness.

Fahnestock told The Reporter recently that as the business hunted for new digs, Issaquah was “definitely on the radar,” adding that the city and chamber staff had been “very welcoming,” and encouraging of a possible move.

She said that she had met with officials from the City of Kirkland, who also welcomed the idea of the Green Car Company relocating there.

Fahnestock said it wasn’t certain yet that the company would move from its current location, but added that she hadn’t been pleased with the treatment the company had received from the City of Bellevue.

The company, which specializes in electric and biodiesel cars, moved to Bellevue last year to consolidate its show room and repair shop after it couldn’t find an appropriate place in Kirkland.

The Green Car Company, which generated approximately $8 million in sales revenue in 2007, would be a boost for Issaquah’s economy.

City of Issaquah Economic Development Manager Dan Trimble said he was not in a position to make an announcement about the possible move at this time, while still in a period of negotiation.

The Green Car Company has met with local property management group Rowley Properties, and has identified the former Polaris dealership on Interstate 90 at exit 15, as being a potential new home.

Member of the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce and candidate for city council Nathan Perea said he approached The Green Car Company in October of last year, while doing personal research on alternative energy systems and businesses on the Eastside.

“I got talking with Susan, and she said a few things about how they weren’t too happy with their current location, and so I said, ‘hey, why don’t you have a look at Issaquah?'” he said.

Perea believes that from the business’ perspective, the demographics of Issaquah and Sammamish would provide a good marketplace.

“And this is a great example of the kind of business we want,” he said.

Perea said that negotiations with The Green Car Company were just one example of how the chamber is hoping to partner with the city in actively recruiting and retaining businesses that would benefit the region.

He added that businesses like The Green Car Company would distinguish Issaquah.

“This is an opportunity to show that we are cutting edge,” Perea said. “I have a hope and vision that we can attract businesses like that, and I hope the city can embrace that idea. This would be something that could grab national and global attention.”

Perea said that he wasn’t sure at this stage what the city could do to encourage a business like the Green Car Company to move to Issaquah, but that “we could make sure that businesses that come here have a soft landing.”

Mayor Ava Frisinger told The Reporter that the city had a culture which was “profoundly supportive of sustainability,” and its location adjacent to green space and wilderness trails made it attractive to green businesses.

“We are doing a number of things that green companies find attractive,” she said, mentioning the restoration of salmon habitats, and efforts to promote public transit and affordable housing. “We recently built the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified fire station in the US.”

When asked what the city could offer a company like The Green Car Company in terms of incentives, Frisinger said that earlier this year city council voted to waive transportation impact fees for businesses in the city that occupy up to 10,000 square feet of commercial space, and some portion of those fees for larger businesses.

Would Issaquah be willing to compete against cities like Kirkland to attract businesses like The Green Car Company?

“We would present ourselves in the very best and honest fashion, and then let the company makes its own market decisions based on that,” Frisinger said.

Fahnestock said her business, which focuses on community involvement and has participated in Kirkland’s July 4th parade and Issaquah Salmon Days, would “fit better in an active community that is interested in being green. Bellevue’s priority is in the development of downtown.”