Above: The historic Old Brewhouse in Tumwater as viewed from the former keghouse in October 2014. The City of Tumwater is seeking public comment on a final environmental impact statement for a planned land use action for the 32 acre property owned by George Heidgerken. The city is also in negotiations with Heidgerken to obtain the 110 year old, six story tower.
Planned
Action Conversations Continue, Another Public Hearing to be Scheduled Soon
By Janine Gates
After a lengthy conversation at their Tuesday night work session, Tumwater city councilmembers agreed to hold another
public hearing on the planned action land use ordinance
for the historic Old Brewery area.
The hearing will be scheduled soon, and no decisions about the property will be made at
their next council meeting.
City administrator John Doan also acknowledged that the city is indeed in negotiations with Old Brewhouse owner
George Heidgerken about the historic, six story tower.
Doan said that it makes economic sense for
Heidgerken to give up the tower because it is in the worst shape with the least
amount of square footage of any building on the property.
“If we acquired it somehow, how much would that
cost? (For Heidgerken) to develop, it doesn’t have a lot of value. It’s in a
tough spot…it’s an expensive building…with not a lot of return. There are certainly
a lot of business reasons why he would want to turn that over to the city,”
said Doan.
Doan suggested that the council create a developer’s
agreement that would clarify the parameters of the arrangement. That agreement would most likely look like a deed to transfer ownership and some
piece of land in the form of an easement so the property could be accessed.
If obtained by the city, Doan said, the tower could be the
impetus for obtaining state grants and future fundraising opportunities to
restore the tower, independent of what Heidgerken does with the rest of the
property.
Doan later told Little Hollywood that he hopes to have an agreement with Heidgerken within a couple of months.
Councilmembers agreed to hold a public hearing about
the city’s possible acquisition of the tower separate from a public hearing on
the proposed planned action land use ordinance.
“It would be a big step for the city. The desire to
acquire (the tower) is an opportunity again at long last. There would be a lot of good to
have people comment on it,” said Councilmember Tom Oliva. Oliva is a co-founder of the Old
Brewhouse Foundation, a local nonprofit formed in 2008 that seeks to acquire,
restore and provide public use of the tower.
At a February 16 public hearing about the proposed planned
action land use ordinance, Heidgerken dangled the possibility of
donating the tower in front of the council, which gave the appearance that he
was doing so in exchange for the council’s approval of his desired full build
out land use scenario for the 32 acre property.
Public comments since the hearing have urged the
city to secure a commitment from Heidgerken in writing first, then move forward
with a land use decision, if what he was offering was a legitimate option.
Above: The 400 page Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed planned action land use ordinance for the Old Brewery property welcomed each councilmember at their work session meeting on Tuesday.
New
Information about Planned Action
Staff also came prepared for Tuesday's work session with a new, draft 10 page
supplement to the 400 page Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS) for the proposed planned action land use ordinance.
The document called Exhibit C clarifies the scope of
what the planned action is approving and made the restoration and preservation
of the existing historic structures along the Deschutes River as part of the
plan.
Councilmembers Joan Cathey and Nicole Hill in
particular asked many questions about the implications of a planned action, and
requested that a developer’s agreement be written that would ensure that some
kind of phasing process would prioritize public amenities, should the developer
bail on the project.
Councilmember Hill said she still had a hard time
grasping the fact that the property owner could rearrange the proposed uses for
the property within the footprint allowed. She suggested that parking be placed
up near the RST Cellars Building.
Doan admitted that the proposed 1,000 vehicle
parking garage where it is currently proposed in the hillside would obstruct
views to and from the historic Schmidt House and that its environmental impact
that has not yet been assessed.
Doan also said that it is always a possibility that
a developer could bail mid-way through a project but expressed confidence in
Heidgerken.
“I think if he gets started down there, that he’ll
finish….”
Councilmember Cathey said she is uncomfortable
approving the project up front without knowing the full description.
Councilmember Debbie Sullivan said she sensed fear
and anxiety by fellow councilmembers that she couldn’t grasp.
“When we get into these processes, there are no
absolutes. I think there’s checks and balances in the whole process...I don’t
think it’s going to be an out of control project. Are we ever going to be able
to control 100 percent of everything? I don’t think so,” said Sullivan.
She said the conversation would be different if
councilmembers were talking about the modern brewery properties, which was how
it was originally envisioned. Sullivan said she
is looking at this project holistically as an opportunity for making Tumwater
more economically attractive to investors.
Councilmember Hill responded that she didn’t think
she was commenting out of fear, but was responding to all the public comment
and trying to ask appropriate questions.
Councilmember Cathey responded that she too didn’t feel fearful,
but felt profoundly protective of the culturally and environmentally sensitive property.
Mayor Pete Kmet acknowledged it was a challenging project and said that to make the area work, a residential component is needed. Since the construction of a new building was nixed by staff as unfeasible, Kmet suggested that a part of the warehouse could be “torn off” to create condominiums.
“…We already know through the marketing analysis that this is a challenging project. To do anything down there will cost a lot of money and anything we can do to streamline that is going to increase the chances that something will actually happen to preserve it….If we end up being successful in acquiring the tower, having this (planned action) done allows us to move ahead with preservation. If we don’t, we’re back to square zero and doing this process again….” said Kmet.
For
more photos and many past articles about the Old Brewery, George Heidgerken, the
stop work order imposed upon Heidgerken for environmental violations at the
site in October 2014, groundwater monitoring, the Old Brewhouse Foundation,
historic preservation, and the planned action land use alternatives currently
before the Tumwater city council, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com
and type key words in the search button.
For more information about the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Exhibit C, Supplement to Tumwater Brewery Planned Action, or to provide public comment, contact Chris Carlson, Permit Manager, City of Tumwater, 555 Israel Road SW, Tumwater, (360) 754-4180, ccarlson@ci.tumwater.wa.us, or City of Tumwater councilmembers at council@ci.tumwater.wa.us
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