Truck Damages Downtown Building

Above: A pedestrian walks behind a semi-truck as the driver backs up to negotiate a wider turn onto Capitol Way South in downtown Olympia Tuesday morning. The truck had already hit the building’s metal awning. No one was hurt in the incident.

By Janine Gates

Little Hollywood

https://www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

A semi-truck moving east on 5^th Avenue made too sharp of a turn onto Capitol Way and damaged a building in downtown Olympia Tuesday morning.

The scene at 501-505 Capitol Way South was witnessed and videotaped by Little Hollywood at about 9:20 a.m. 

After the metal awning and its lighting infrastructure was hit, the truck driver with Swanson Bark and Wood Products, Inc. of Longview backed up, negotiated a wider turn, parked, and jumped out to inspect the damage. 

No one was hurt in the incident.  

Little Hollywood contacted building owners and police to make a report. A logistics manager with the truck company said the driver was cited by Olympia police for illegal lane usage.  

The building, built in 1937, is owned by Thurston Building Company. The space, formerly occupied by g. miller men’s clothing store, is currently vacant. The clothing store moved to 111 Market Street NE, Olympia.

Above: Damage to the building at 501-505 Capitol Way South after a semi-truck driver made too sharp of a turn and hit the building Tuesday morning.

Olympia Bridge Restoration Underway

Above: Workers have been restoring downtown Olympia’s Fourth Avenue bridge for about ten weeks. The bulk of the project involves cleaning and painting, however, some repairs are also being done. The project is being funded out of the City of Olympia's transportation general fund for $451,962.

By Janine Gates

Little Hollywood

https://janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

For the past ten weeks, thousands of commuters have watched a crew at work on the Fourth Avenue bridge in downtown Olympia.

Formally known as the Olympia-Yashiro Friendship Bridge, the bridge spans Budd Inlet, the southernmost portion of Puget Sound. 

A critical east-west transportation link for the city, the bridge symbolically connects the Olympia community in many other ways as well.

While the bulk of the project involves cleaning and painting, some crack repair is also being done to prevent future water intrusion. Water damage causing significant pockmarks and spalling of cement pieces has occurred in about 250 feet of the bridge.

A contract amount of $451,962 was given to Finishing Touch Masonry and Restoration Solutions, LLC, of Everett.

The project is considered a transportation project and is being funded out of the city’s transportation general fund.

“This project was not bid per our typical design-bid build process however it is a U.S. Communities project and these types of projects meet the competitive bidding requirements,” said Jeff Johnstone, project manager and senior engineer with the City of Olympia, when asked about the cost.   

The U.S. Communities Project is a partnership formed in 2009 among the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

The city’s use of U.S. Communities was approved by city council in 2016.

Johnstone added that after the work is complete, the bridge will retain its shiny white appearance, and should only need to be pressure washed once a year.

“I never realized how grubby it had gotten until I saw side by side pictures,” said Johnstone.

Prior to construction of the bridge, Johnstone said that the city tested multiple different coating products.

“These products were applied to concrete panels and allowed to sit for the winter in order to determine how well they held up to our winter conditions and how easy they were to clean. Graffiti testing was also conducted on each coating. The coating being used was selected because it is a single step coating process and once the coating container is opened, it can be resealed and saved for later use, similar to a can of paint,” he said.

Above: The Olympia-Yashiro Friendship Bridge, better known as the Fourth Avenue bridge, spans Budd Inlet, the southernmost tip of Puget Sound.

Workers interviewed on Tuesday were disappointed that their completed work on the south side of the bridge has already been tagged with graffiti.

“It takes a couple minutes to tag, but takes a lot more time than that to clean it off,” said Rick Schindler, a restoration mason and project foreman with Finishing Touch Masonry.

Schindler, of Everett, has been busy with Ken Hester, of Shoreline, to brush, hand scrape, seal, vacuum, and pressure wash the bridge. He recently hired another employee to speed up the work and says he hopes to get the project done by the end of September.

Schindler explained that the westernmost 250 feet of the bridge between the roundabouts on Olympic Way has the most water intrusion damage because the concrete was poured onsite, which resulted in a very difficult finish.

Workers at the time realized their mistake, Schindler said, and used precast forms for the rest of the bridge.

“Those look a lot better,” he said.

“It’s been a tedious project to get right,” said Hester.

All workers are Pacific Northwest chapter members of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers.

Above: Ken Hester, of Shoreline, packs up his masonry supplies for the day on Tuesday.

A Brief Bridge History

The bridge was completed in 2003 to replace the previous bridge which was structurally damaged in the Nisqually based earthquake on February 28, 2001.

The earthquake speeded up a bridge replacement process that was already underway, as load limits had already been placed on the bridge.

Former City of Olympia Mayor Bob Jacobs was asked about his involvement in the planning for the new bridge in the late 1990s prior to the earthquake.

“The previous bridge lasted as long as it did because it had been constructed with extra strength to carry trolley traffic. 

“It was generous of the council to include on the bronze plaques all of the names of council members who participated in the entire, long planning process. It’s a great looking bridge. Although the cost estimates had to be increased several times, our council made detailed decisions on the design of the bridge, including the number of lanes, width of sidewalks, and height of railings.

“Partway into the process, it was decided to expand the project to include the area to the west and call it the Olympia Gateway Project. The roundabouts were a big risk because such structures were rather new at the time and the slopes made them difficult to construct. All in all, it turned out very well,” said Jacobs.

Editor's Note, August 24: Little Hollywood deleted a previously published statement that the Fourth Avenue bridge never had trolley traffic.

Above: Olympians braved the rain to celebrate the grand reopening of the Fourth Avenue Bridge in December, 2003. The bridge serves as a critical east-west transportation link in Olympia. The Nisqually earthquake made the previous bridge unusable, causing over two years of inconvenience for commuters.

Ad Hoc Committee on Policing Meets Again

Above: Not everyone wants to attend a meeting in a government building. While the Ad Hoc Committee on Policing and Community Relations group has expressed a sensitivity to different communication styles and a desire to reach a variety of ages and cultures, the meetings thus far have not captured community interest. 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The Ad Hoc Committee on Policing and Community Relations met again Monday night, this time at Olympia City Hall.

Their last meeting was September 9 at the Church of Living Water. About 13 people were in attendance at that meeting.

In order to appear more welcoming, the group paid attention to their physical presence. Without microphones or tables in front of them, members met in a semi-circle.

Only two members of the public were in attendance: Jim Johnson, a man who lives near the location of the police officer involved shooting that occurred on May 21, and Little Hollywood. 

Johnson expressed that he was disappointed with the continued low turnout at Ad Hoc Committee meetings. He also attended the September 9 meeting. He suggested that an Olympia-style potluck was in order to bring the community and conversation together to talk about the Ad Hoc Committee’s goals.

The group continued to discuss the logistics of their first community forum, which will be held on Saturday, October 10. The place and time is still to be determined. 

Committee member Alejandro Rugarcia said that he is not able to make the October 10 forum, and expressed a need to know in advance when future forums might be held.

The group explored several questions to pose to the public in a large plenary gathering. 

The proposed questions for the larger group were:

1.       Share your experiences with the Olympia Police Department;

2.       How can the Olympia Police Department build better understanding and trust with all people?

Proposed small group discussion questions were:

1.       How can the Olympia Police Department more effectively reach out to underrepresented people and groups in the community (ethnic or racial minorities, LGBT, homeless, crime victims, persons arrested or convicted of crimes)?

2.       The vision of the Olympia Police Department is to provide policing services through trust and partnership: a. What does that look like to you? b. How can the Olympia Police Department better meet your expectations for an ideal department?

3.       How can we help community members feel safe when interacting with the Olympia Police? How can we build trust and what are the barriers to trust?

Lt. Aaron Jelcick, an ex-officio member of the Ad Hoc Committee said there’s value in the whole group conversation and was not in favor of breaking up into small groups.

 

Ad-Hoc Committee member Clinton Petty said that the group is ignoring the young members of our community and expressed a strong desire to explore Washington State’s law about the use of excessive force.

“Something has got to be done about changing portions of this law,” said Petty.

Group co-chair Reiko Callner gave an overview of the law and suggested that the community may need a citizen’s law and policy forum about why it is difficult to bring criminal charges against a police officer in Washington State.

Group co-chair Curt Pavola distributed a draft list of who the city needs to engage in the conversation.

The group is expected to report to the Olympia City Council on October 20 with its progress.

The next Ad-Hoc Committee meeting day, time and location was not set. 

Above: Several broken windows at Olympia City Hall will cost at least $10,000 - $15,000 to replace.

Assault and Property Damage to City Hall

On Saturday evening, September 5, around 7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., a group of individuals dressed in dark clothing near Percival Landing carried bats and golf clubs. Their faces covered with scarves, they marched through Fourth Avenue.

In an interview last Thursday with Olympia Police Department Lt. Aaron Jelcick, Jelcick said the police diverted traffic around State and Cherry, where a peaceful group was gathered.

The first group grew to about 50-60 people and converged on a man on a motorcycle with a Confederate Flag. The police received numerous 911 calls of the man being beaten and the situation became a riot. The man was taken to St. Peter’s Hospital where he was treated.

No one was arrested. The police are asking for help to identify the suspects, and can call (360) 753-8300 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS with any information.

“As we were responding to the assault, the same group continued on Fourth Avenue to City Hall. We were within a half block (of City Hall) but couldn’t prevent the damage. We used pepper ball guns and other impact weapons to quickly disperse the crowd….A lot of people don’t understand police tactics – we don’t just run into a crowd. It has to be organized…otherwise we put everyone at risk,” said Lt. Jelcick.

The damage to the windows at City Hall, which also houses the Olympia Police Department, is estimated to be between $10,000 - $15,000 dollars, said Lt. Jelcick. 

City manager Steve Hall confirmed tonight that the cost will be at least that much because the windows are not standard, and replacements will need to be custom made.

Above: Broken windows at Olympia City Hall, which also houses the Olympia Police Department, as seen late last week, will take time to replace.

Upcoming Events:

An Olympia Town Hall meeting on policing will be held Wednesday, October 14, 7:00 p.m., Traditions Café, on the corner of 5th and Water Street.

Several organizations involved in policing issues have been invited to participate including the YWCA, Students for Unity & Racial Justice (SURJ), Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), Media Island, Justice Not Jails coalition, Interfaith Works, Cop Watch, and the Ad Hoc Committee on Policing and Community Relations.

Several Ad-Hoc Committee members said they may be in attendance.

Tree Maintenance in Sylvester Park, Old Capitol Building Campus

Above: Workers remove damaged limbs from a mature beech tree in Sylvester Park yesterday.

by Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Trees are being pruned, and some are slated for possible removal in Sylvester Park and the nearby campus of the Old Capitol Building.

Luke Colvin, owner of Arbor Care Tree Specialists, of Astoria, Oregon and his crew were spotted in the park yesterday taking care of some dangerous limbs. Colvin said that one tree, a Deodoria Cedar, had a "big fracture" in it as a result of last year's storm. The other tree they were pruning is a beech.

"These trees have some large crossing limbs in the upper canopy and some over weighted lower leaders...We've been honored to receive a two year contract with the state of Washington to maintain the trees in state parks and properties...now we're buried in work," said Colvin. He said the state has worked for two years on a progressive scope of work that includes an inventory and evaluation of trees throughout the Capitol Campus and state owned properties. Sylvester Park is owned and maintained by the state.

In late December, the company removed trees near the Insurance Building, and a nearly 35-foot-tall Western red cedar tree next to the Visitor Center at Capitol Way and Sid Snyder Avenue. That tree, which was adjacent to the pedestrian footbridge over Capitol Way, was diseased and posed a public safety hazard. Wood from the downed tree was offered to local tribes.

There are plans and a timeline of activities associated with the replanting of trees wherever possible. In the case of the four trees recently removed near the Insurance Building, replanting will not occur due to their proximity to the building. In three other campus locations where trees were removed, trees were replanted, with more replantings scheduled in the future.

Tree Inventory and Evaluation

Upon request of the state Department of Enterprise Services, Colvin's company evaluated the trees in Sylvester Park and the Old Capitol Building grounds.  At both locations, Colvin says he did not see any major signs or symptoms of root rot or large decay pockets in the trunks of the trees. Because of the lack of outward signs of major structural defects caused by decay, he only performed visual evaluations of the trees from the ground. 

According to the October 2012 report, his findings and recommendations mostly recommend proper pruning to repair storm damage, to establish proper structure and reduce tip weight on the lower leaders. This work will help insure long term preservation, help prevent future storm damage and reduce hazards.

Some trees, however, are slated for possible removal. Colvin's report includes the following description of his assessments:

Sylvester Park:

"Along the south side of the park, there is a row of conifer trees made up of Common juniper, False arborvitae, Western red cedar and Port Orford cedar. All of these trees have grown up in very close proximity to each other and thus have had a lot of competition for light and space. Due to this competition, the trees have taller heights than they should...and are over weighted in the upper canopies. Also, there are numerous included crotches because of co-dominant tops, minor to major storm damage and some small decay pockets. I recommend proper pruning and possible removal of a couple of the trees to reduce the hazards they pose.

Other trees:

On the west side of the park there is a row of six mature Norway maple trees that appear to be in good over-all condition. All six sustained minor to major storm damage. I recommend proper pruning to repair storm damage...."

In the southeast corner of the park is a mature American elm tree. This tree sustained major storm damage and has some very over weighted lower leaders. In the lower canopy, this tree is pushing a lot of epicormic growth from the main trunk. This could be in response to the storm damage or be a sign of another underlying problem. Further in depth evaluation should be performed to determine the health and safety of this tree. If the tree is found reasonably safe to retain, I recommend proper pruning to repair storm damage...."

Old Capitol Building grounds:

 

Two trees are recommended for removal.

"On the southwest corner of the building is a mature Western red cedar. This tree sustained major storm damage and has many very over weighted lower leaders. I recommend proper pruning to repair storm damage...."

On the southeast corner and the east side of the property, there are ten semi-mature Sweet gum trees. All ten sustained minor storm damage and one sustained major storm damage. The one that had the entire top broken out, I recommend removal and replacement. For the other nine, I recommend proper pruning to repair storm damage...."

On the northwest corner of the property is an over-mature Port Orford cedar. This tree has three major co-dominant tops. At all three unions, there is extensive included bark and each top is heavily weighted in one direction. Also, there was very poor annual shoot growth, which is major sign of stress. I recommend removal to mitigate life, traffic, pedestrian and structure safety hazard this tree poses. " 

Colvin and his team are scheduled to be in the park and on the Old Capitol Building grounds throughout the week.

Above: New grass was recently planted where a 119 year old beech tree was removed last year after it sustained heavy damage in last year's winter storm.