Olympia Gets Ready for Arts Walk

Above: Stephanie Johnson, City of Olympia Arts and Events program manager and knitter, was spotted making her own contribution to Arts Walk today. She said it was a portion of a really old, bad sweater she started in the 80's and never finished. "You know, the kind that would have had shoulder pads - it's made of acrylic - if it's going to take 20 years to finish a sweater, it should be wool!" she laughed.

by Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Olympia is getting ready for Arts Walk this weekend! Arts Walk maps featuring nearly 100 artists and events are available at www.olympiawa.gov/parks and distributed throughout downtown. Of course, plenty of guerrilla art and activities are not on the map.

A cozy yarn art installation was underway today on the Olympia -Yashiro Friendship Bridge and will cover the lamp post bases. Artists have received permission from the city to keep it in place until next Sunday.

Above and below: Gail P. of Spectral Spiders was busy today knitting together portions of donated pieces to be placed on the bridge's lamp posts. She said the group formed in August to do this project, and "all are welcome to come create on the bridge and offer pieces to be repurposed. It's all about showing your stitches, you know?"

 

Arts Walk is sponsored by the City of Olympia Arts Commission and the Department of Parks, Arts and Recreation, and local businesses.

 

Above: Hmmm...what's next? A winter cap for the dome of the Capitol Building?

Hotel Application for Henderson Blvd.

Above: A land use application for a proposed Hilton Garden Inn on Henderson Boulevard has been submitted to the City of Olympia.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

A land use site plan application has been submitted to the City of Olympia for the construction of a 122-unit hotel on Henderson Boulevard. Watershed Park is within walking distance, and the property is adjacent to I-5.

The applicant, Capital Hospitality, LLC, is based in Seattle. The application, received by the city on October 1, states that a proposed Hilton Garden Inn is to be located at 2101 and 2201 Henderson Park Lane SE.

The hotel is proposed to be five stories, with the ground floor level to be 23,000 square feet, and floors 2 – 5 to be 14,000 square feet. The hotel would provide 115 parking spaces and employ approximately 25 people. No public transit currently serves this area, which is zoned commercial.

Various property owners and proposals have come and gone over the past few years for this contentious parcel which was subdivided, resulting in the building of a partial road into the property and a roundabout on Henderson Boulevard. Clearing of the 3.8 acre property site was performed years ago, and currently shows regrowth.

Steve Friddle, principal planner for the city's community planning and development department, says the application was initially received in July but was kicked back because it was incomplete. Now it’s complete, and the first comment period ends at 5:00 p.m. on October 15.

A city site plan review committee will schedule the project for review and make comments. The project must also be reviewed by the Olympia Design Review Board. Neighborhood meetings will also be scheduled.

The city invites comments and participation in the review of the project. Site plans can be viewed, and comments and inquiries regarding the proposal, file number 13-0089, can be directed to Cari Hornbein, Senior Planner, City of Olympia Community Planning and Development, 601 4^th Avenue E., P.O. Box 1967 Olympia, WA 98501, or email: chornbei@ci.olympia.wa.us or (360) 753-8048.