Above:
This view of Mt. Rainier across downtown Olympia from the Fourth Avenue Bridge becomes obscured by the nine-story Capital Center
Building as one travels into downtown. A new survey by the City of Olympia asks questions regarding downtown development, pedestrian improvements, types of preferred bicycle lanes, viewsheds, and more.
By Janine Gates
The City of Olympia is encouraging everyone in
Thurston County to take a survey to help shape downtown Olympia. As noted in a recent Little Hollywood story on March 14, part of the survey includes weighing
in on downtown views to area landmarks.
The survey, part of the city’s ongoing
Downtown Strategy planning efforts, is online at www.olympiawa.gov/DTS
through March 27. The city says it takes about 15-20 minutes to complete.
City of Olympia city planner Amy Buckler says the
city has heard “loud and clear” from a previous survey that the city must
address parking, sea level rise and homelessness issues.
Based on this survey and other plans, the city’s
next steps in the Downtown Strategy will focus on design, view protection,
historic preservation, business and development standards and incentives, and
more specific strategies related to housing, retail and economic development.
It took Little
Hollywood about 35 minutes to read through the survey questions, much
less answer them.
When asked about the nature of the questions, and their tendency toward the need for significant zoning and code changes, Buckler responded that the survey reflects what the
city has heard in the public process so far, and include the input of their consultant’s
recommendations.
“It is likely the city will update some development
standards, and perhaps zoning, if needed, to align with the guiding framework
of the Downtown Strategy. We are waiting for a guiding framework to be vetted
through the…process of public engagement and analysis and discussion with city
council on May 10 before scoping what updates might be needed. The guiding
framework will drive any needed updates….”
Questions about viewsheds are included about mid-way
through the survey, after questions about development scenarios, shared
streets for pedestrian and intersection improvements, festival streets, types
of bicycle lanes, and more.
Some questions are hard to argue
with:
1.
In the waterfront area, improve upon existing attractions to create a vibrant,
attractive, family-friendly destination, with emphasis on the surrounding
natural environment and many landmark views. Maintain vibrant and visible
gathering places for public activity and events; increase waterfront recreation
opportunities; and create inviting pedestrian connections to the historic
shopping district, marinas, Farmers Market, Hands on Children’s Museum, LOTT Wet
Center, and Capitol Campus.
On
a scale of 1-5, with (1) being very important and (5) being not important, how
important is this overall concept to you?
This question specifically involves the Northeast area neighborhood:
3.
In the "Artisans/Tech" area, improve upon Port and LOTT activities
and existing warehouses to create a mixed-use, artisan, culinary arts, and tech
hub that includes affordable commercial space, housing (especially for
artists), studio/workshop, gallery, live/work, and retail space. Encourage the
reuse of industrial buildings and diverse, eclectic, energy- and
water-efficient architecture. Ensure that visitors of all ages feel safe and
comfortable arriving by bus, foot, bike, or car to participate in exciting
education and recreation opportunities. Spur mixed-income residential
development to support car-free lifestyles near the Transit Center. A more
active atmosphere, redevelopment of blighted or underused sites, good design
and continued clean and safe efforts by the City and other partners generate a
feeling of safety in this area.
On
a scale of 1-5, with (1) being very important and (5) being not important, how
important is this overall concept to you?
Regarding the future of the Southeast area neighborhood, this question provides the only “not sure/don’t care” option in the questionnaire, among other options:
13.
This area has significant potential for growth as a residential neighborhood.
We have heard a range of preferences for the style of residential development
in this area, sometimes a preference for tall residential buildings and other
times for smaller scale residential development like townhouses, small lot
homes, and low-rise multifamily buildings.
Assuming the same number of units are added in both scenarios described,
check the circle that best represents your preference.
Above: Now it's gone - the view of Mt. Rainier becomes obscured by the nine story Capital Center
Building as one travels into downtown Olympia.
Survey
Questions about Views
The viewsheds for potential analysis have changed since the city’s
March 3 Land Use and Environment meeting and now includes a new viewshed: City
Hall to the Capitol Dome. The photo used to illustrate this view is from the sidewalk outside city hall on Cherry Street.
Two potential viewsheds were removed from the list:
Marathon Park to Mt. Rainier, because it does not exist, and the effect of the
1063 Building, currently under construction, on the view of the Capitol Dome
from downtown.
The survey uses computer generated illustrations of two viewsheds under consideration. City staff is in need of a photo from the navigation channel into
Olympia on Budd Inlet, and a photo of downtown Olympia from the beach area of Priest Point Park.
City staff provided Little
Hollywood a map that indicates that the desired viewshed from the navigation channel is from the coordinates of 47
03.960 N and 122 54.509 W, which is roughly the center of the channel across from Swantown Marina.
Buckler confirmed that a photo of the viewshed from
the East Bay pocket park to the Capitol Building featured in Little Hollywood’s March 14 article is
one of ten proposed viewsheds slated for analysis.
That view runs through Port of Olympia parcels 2 and
3 which are slated for development by local developer Walker John. Concept plans
by architect Ron Thomas are not yet available to the public, Thomas said in an
interview with Little Hollywood last
month. If those parcels are developed as proposed, the public’s view of the
Capitol Building from the park would be obscured.
If
there are additional important viewsheds related to downtown that you think the
city may have missed or if you have photos of your favorite views related to
downtown that you want to share with the city, send them to
dts@ci.olympia.wa.us.
Submitted
photos will become part of the public record and may be used for public
engagement purposes, so the city asks that you indicate who should receive
credit for the photo. Views must be from public observation points within
downtown or looking through downtown to landmark views, such as Mt. Rainer, the
Black Hills, Puget Sound, Olympic Mountains, Capitol Dome, says the city.
For
more information, contact Amy Buckler, Senior Planner, City of Olympia, at
(360) 570-5847 or abuckler@ci.olympia.wa.us.
