Corroseal and Marine Supply, located at the Coupeville Wharf, recently closed after being in business for four years.

Even though the business closed, the owners, Sue Koleada and Joan Geiger, are still paying the rent on the small, 530-square-foot spot.

They shuttered the store in December, but they are responsible for the lease until the end of June.

Both women attended Wednesday’s Coupeville Port meeting seeking relief on paying $450 a month in rent on a vacant space.

“All we want is relief on the last four months of the lease,” Koleada said.

She said she gave notice to the port, which owns the wharf, in November and vacated the space Jan. 1. She said, while the Corroseal part of the business was profitable, the marine supply part wasn’t. It closed when Geiger sold the Corroseal part of the business.

There was talk of having a neighboring shop take over Corroseal’s lease, however, an agreement couldn’t be reached, and the business closed.

The port commissioners rejected Koleada’s appeal during their Wednesday morning meeting.

“I have a hard time saying we just terminate the lease period,” Commissioner Bruce Bryson said.

However, they asked Jim Patton, port executive director, to meet with the former owners and work out some sort of equitable compromise.

Koleada has several issues that should warrant consideration.

She noted that, while her lease states it lasts for two years, the months listed equals 25 months. The port also hasn’t advertised the space and it won’t be occupied this summer when her lease runs out.

Patton said the port can’t advertise a spot that already has a valid lease on it.

Koleada said, in the past, she knew of two instances where the port granted early termination of the leases to businesses that previously operated out of the wharf.

Patton said that was a fair observation, but those occurred before he arrived, and he heard there were extenuating circumstances surrounding those situations, although he didn’t know the details.

Koleada added she and Geiger are still part of and active in the community.

Patton said he will meet with Koleada and Geiger to see if an agreement can be reached.

“Nobody wants to hurt these people,” Patton said.

Reach Nathan Whalen at 675-6611 or nwhalen@whidbeynewstimes.com.