No Pile Driving During Lakefair for Mistake on the Lake

Above: Views on Fifth, better known as the Mistake on the Lake, as seen on Monday from a newly created city owned park on the isthmus on Fourth Avenue in downtown Olympia. Piling driving at the site will begin on a three story building on the corner of Fourth and Simmons Street. The poetry on the sidewalk is the creation of Olympia poet laureate, Amy Solomon-Minarchi, and others as part of the city’s Art in Public Places Program. 

No pile driving planned during Lakefair, July 11 - 15

By Janine Gates

Little Hollywood

https://janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Oh, the sweet sound of progress! 

Pile driving sounds like poetry to some ears, but to others, not so much. But pretty soon, there will be plenty of it in downtown Olympia.

Construction will begin on a new, three story building with apartments and structured parking for residents, all part of the conversion of the existing nine story building best known as the Mistake on the Lake at 410 5th Avenue, also known as Views on Fifth.

Piling driving will not occur during Lakefair, however, and less noisy construction activity on both buildings will continue, City of Olympia building official Todd Cunningham told Little Hollywood on Monday.

The 61st annual Lakefair, a community celebration in downtown Olympia on Water Street and Heritage Park, begins Wednesday and ends on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of South Sounders come into downtown Olympia each year to enjoy food, carnival rides, live entertainment, a car show, a parade, and, as the grand finale, a fireworks display. All activities are operated by Capital Lakefair, a nonprofit volunteer organization. For a list of events and activities, go to www.lakefair.org.

“There may also be occasional traffic disruptions as construction equipment stages for off-loading onto the site. The contractor will have appropriate staff on site to monitor and address all construction activity and any concerns related to public safety,” said Cunningham.

In time, two, new three story buildings are expected to be built on site.

“The pile driving is for the new buildings. There may be some additional piles for the existing (building) but that is not the majority of the piles at this time. The owner was very cooperative about this when I asked him about Lakefair and immediately volunteered that he would discontinue pile driving as it would be the right thing to do for the community during this event. He did mention that this is at substantial cost though,” said Cunningham.

Pile driving work will take place between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Above: Pile driving equipment being staged on Monday for the construction of a three story building on Fourth Avenue near Views on Fifth, a nine-story building under redevelopment in downtown Olympia.

Man Rescued in Capitol Lake

Above: A man who jumped into the choppy, cold waters of Capitol Lake was rescued by Olympia firefighters on Friday afternoon.

By Janine Gates

Little Hollywood

https://janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

A man who jumped into the choppy, cold waters of Capitol Lake at Heritage Park was safely rescued by Olympia firefighters and police officers on Friday afternoon.

During the tense time before an official rescue was launched, police officers patrolled the border of Capitol Lake asking bystanders to not jump in the water to save him, saying the water was cold and the man may resist being rescued. Police officers suspected that he may be mentally ill or under the influence of drugs.

Bystanders expressed concern for the man. One man approached police officers to express his opinion that all the police cars, with lights flashing, may deter the man from swimming to shore on his own.

Above: Bystanders kept an eye on the man before a rescue was launched by Olympia firefighters, who reached him by boat.

The man jumped into the lake from the north shore of Heritage Park and swam to the middle of the lake when the fire department launched a motorboat from Marathon Park.The man consistently kept his head above water. 

When the three firefighters reached the man, they flung a rope out to him. The man grabbed onto the rope and hung onto the side of the boat as it moved at low speed toward the shore.

Above: Olympia police officers were ready to assist Olympia firefighters when they came ashore with the man.

Once reaching shore, police officers were prepared with yellow emergency blankets to cover the man, who only wore a torn black t-shirt. His right eye was injured. The man was rambling as firefighters brought him out of the water. 

He was put on a gurney and transported to the hospital.

Above: Firefighters and police officers assisted in the rescue of a man at Capitol Lake on Friday afternoon.

Editor’s Note: Little Hollywood arrived on the scene shortly after the man jumped into Capitol Lake and is choosing not to publish pictures of the man because he was in crisis. Instead, the focus of this photo essay is on the efforts of Olympia firefighters and police officers who assisted in the rescue effort. 

A 24/7 Restroom for the Holidays

Above: A wreath made by Sean McCartney at the Ho-Ho-Hobos wreath stand in downtown Olympia earlier this week.

By Janine Gates

http://janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Continued conversation has resulted in a win-win for everyone.

The restrooms at three Capitol Campus locations – Heritage and Marathon parks and the Interpretive Center – have reopened, following talks with Just Housing, the group that was staging protests requesting 24/7 access to public restrooms in downtown Olympia, said Linda Kent, Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) on Friday.

In addition, DES is keeping a portable restroom and hand washing station open at Heritage Park for 24-hour access while the agency works with community groups, the City of Olympia and other stakeholders to seek a long term workable solution.

The regular park restrooms will be open during park hours, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The agency says it does not have the funding to keep the regular park bathrooms open 24 hours a day.

The portable that had been placed near Olympia Supply has since been moved by DES to the side of the Heritage Park restroom.

“….DES is committed to keeping the portable restroom open while productive community conversations continue, provided the restrooms are not vandalized and remain sanitary,” said Kent.

Just Housing also issued a press release on Friday saying, “We take these negotiations very seriously and we are currently consulting with movement supporters, stakeholders, and attorneys about how to proceed with specific commitments….Generally speaking, we would like to see expanded access to the Heritage Park restrooms by the end of January in order to continue moving forward in trust and good faith.”

Above: A Christmas tree in the main lobby of Providence St. Peter Hospital. The tree, titled, “Tree With A Mission,” was one of those designed for the Christmas Forest fundraiser by the Providence St. Peter Foundation. Other words on the tree included “Respect,” and “Stewardship.”

Editor's Note: I would like to extend a warm thank you for reading Little Hollywood. It is an honor to provide a trusted source of news for our community. I’ll be taking a break to recharge, and look forward to 2017 with new perspectives. Please consider a donation to Little Hollywood if you appreciate independent journalism. See the Little Hollywood sidebar for more information.

Thank you also to all our first responders. For those who are not able to take a break, who are caring for those who are injured or sick, or for those facing serious life challenges, my thoughts are with you.  I wish everyone peace and happiness.

State Closes Three Downtown Olympia Restrooms

Above: The Washington State Department of Enterprise Services has temporarily closed, day and night, three downtown Olympia area restrooms. Wheelchair accessible portables have been set up near each restroom. This portable restroom near Heritage Park is located near Olympia Supply on Water Street and Columbia Street.

By Janine Gates

http://janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Calling it a night of mourning, Just Housing activists and community members gathered at the now closed Heritage Park restrooms on Water Street Tuesday evening.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday afternoon by the state Department of Enterprise Services, restrooms at three Capitol Campus locations at Heritage and Marathon parks and the Interpretive Center, are now closed day and night.

The temporary closure follows three days of incidents at the Heritage Park restroom on Water Street in downtown Olympia.

“Enterprise Services is closing the restrooms because the actions taking place over the last three days create significant risk to the community and those responsible for the care and custody of the Capitol Campus, and do not support a productive path to come together and resolve the issue.

“Enterprise Services staff had hoped to focus on constructive dialogue at the park Monday evening and through the week, and to achieve a two-week pause in the protests to have community meetings and seek solutions.

“The bathrooms will be closed temporarily until Enterprise Services can productively pursue a collaborative solution with community groups, the City of Olympia and others,” says the release.

Portable bathrooms compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as hand washing stations have been placed at Heritage Park near Seventh and Columbia streets and at Marathon Park adjacent to the regular bathroom.

Above: Renata Rollins lights a candle at a gathering Tuesday night in front of the now closed Heritage Park restrooms in downtown Olympia.

A quiet group of about 35 community members, including children, met Tuesday night outside the closed restrooms to discuss the week’s actions, lessons learned, and the decision by the state to close the restrooms.

The group was somber as they listened to Renata Rollins and Tye Gundel each explain why they co-founded the Just Housing group last spring. As community outreach workers, they became discouraged while turning people away from needed services because they were not available.

The lack of options weighed heavily on them and they decided to explore other options, speak the truth, build relationships, and take direct action.

Gundel said Just Housing activists underestimated how state and city law enforcement would respond to what was intended to be a one night, symbolic action that would demonstrate what a 24 hour access bathroom would look like.

She participated in civil disobedience and was one of the four arrested Monday night. She said she didn’t originally expect to do that, but gained strength to do so by thinking of the personal conversations she has had in the last three years helping people work through the social service network. She felt that what she was doing was right.

“…Those people have changed my life, and the way I see the world….it was their words and their courage that I was thinking about that gave me a lot of strength, and gave me a lot of peace and a lot of certainty about what we’re doing here. I never doubted that ….”

She said she was saddened by the state’s decision to shut down the state controlled restrooms in the city as a result of their actions.

“This has never been just about bathrooms for the last three days. It’s about basic dignity, this is about humanity, love, for people that have been shown day in and day out and told day in and day out that they don’t deserve that.…and to show them that there are those in the community who are willing to stand by those who have been pushed to the outside of our society….”

Gundel said that the closure of the restrooms punishes the people they most wanted to help.

“…A lot of us are really torn about what we could have done differently to make sure that didn’t happen…. Maybe some things could have been done differently....It’s a really big burden to bear, but that’s on them...they made that choice….We’re here to contrast that….punishment with community and love and coming together….we’re going to come together stronger and I’ve never had more faith in a community to be creative and come up with responses to help people when they need to the most. I’m excited to see what we’ll do….”

To hear all the speakers Tuesday evening, including Rabbah Rona Matlow,  go to http://justhousingoly.tumblr.com/post/154751419786/122016-just-housing-night-of-mourning-for-closed

Matlow said she visited with Tony Aitken, Enterprise Services program manager for state capitol visitor services, to see what she could do to help on Monday morning.

A retired Lieutenant Commander with 22 years in the Navy, Matlow wore a coat with military medals on her lapel. Matlow, now a transgender woman and Jewish pastoral counselor, offers veteran and LGBTQ+ support.

She said she wears her medals to show that even mainstream people are concerned about significant social issues. She is hoping to organize an interjurisdictional, interfaith homelessness task force with state, city and local community leaders.

Just Housing activist Jeff Thomas listed recent successes with homelessness issues and said he spoke with City of Olympia city manager Steve Hall a few weeks ago, who had proposed to the state that the city rent out the Heritage Park restrooms.

According to Thomas, the state said the city would have to pay for an all-night State Patrol agent, making the idea a “no-go.”  Still, Thomas said he is cautiously optimistic.

“We are going to get bathrooms soon, one way or another.”

Above: The portable at Marathon Park on Deschutes Parkway is near the closed restrooms.

Olympia Sea Level Rise Report: An Undeniable Challenge

Above: City of Olympia staff briefed city councilmembers on the implications of sea level rise in downtown Olympia at a study session on Tuesday evening. With a four foot sea level rise, portions of West Bay, all the way to south of Union Street, and the I-5 interchange near Plum and Henderson will be inundated.

Councilmember Gilman Questions Saving Downtown

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

A brutal, sobering report on the implications of sea level rise in downtown Olympia was delivered to Olympia city councilmembers by staff at a study session Tuesday evening. 

Mayor Cheryl Selby and Councilmember Jeannine Roe were excused from the study session and council meeting.

Councilmembers asked questions after the half hour report, but were mostly faced with the undeniable, daunting fact that downtown Olympia is highly vulnerable to sea level rise and has little time to protect itself.

“This year’s work feels a little bit different from past years….We are increasingly concerned and we’re suggesting a more heightened sense of urgency in our response to this dynamic….We feel we are currently vulnerable to flooding downtown and we suggest that the long term implications for what we’ve reported to you are higher than what we’ve reported to you in the past,” said City of Olympia water resources director Andy Haub.

Since the last Ice Age, sea levels have risen more than 400 feet. This process has occurred in spurts, and at times, has risen more than one foot per decade, most likely the result of ice sheets melting. Over the past 5,000 – 7,000 years, sea levels have been stable. The Industrial Age and the use of fossil fuels have accelerated climate change, and in the last 20 years, the rate of sea level rise has nearly doubled that of the previous 100 years.

“….We should develop a vision and a plan to begin adapting to sea level rise sooner than later….We can’t go it alone and we’re only going to be as strong as the weakest link in our defense,” said Eric Christensen, City of Olympia water resources planning and engineering manager.

Staff urged active community engagement, and engineering and financial partnerships with the State of Washington, the Department of Enterprise Services, the Department of Natural Resources, the Port of Olympia, LOTT Clean Water Alliance and the Squaxin Tribe.

Sea level rise information was derived from the UW Climate Impact group and the International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC). The last IPCC report was produced in 2013, however, new information is released on a weekly basis.

According to the IPCC, sea level rise is projected to occur at a rate of 11 to 38 inches by the end of the century. These are global averages, and Christiansen said Olympia’s tides come in 1.28 times higher than Seattle’s.

Adding to sea level rise concerns, according to data via the Washington State Reference Network which monitors land movement, downtown Olympia is subsiding nine tenths of an inch per decade. Monitoring stations are affixed on regional stations throughout the state, and one is located on top of Olympia city hall.

“We have acted very responsibly to date, and we’re in a very admirable position with our knowledge of both Budd Inlet and downtown,” said Haub, who urged that the city create codes for minimum floor elevations for new construction to protect downtown assets. He hopes to propose those this year.

Staff showed several scenarios to illustrate the impacts of sea level rise and climate change in Olympia’s downtown combined with the “nuisance flooding” that already occurs as a result of tidal events. The frequency of this flooding would increase.

Along with a one foot sea level rise, flooding would occur 30 times a year; two feet of sea level rise would flood downtown 160 times a year, and four feet of sea level rise would flood downtown 440 times a year, which is more than once a day.

With a four foot sea level rise, portions of West Bay, all the way south of Union Street,  and the I-5 interchange near Plum and Henderson will be inundated.

Above: High tides of 17.6 feet and low atmospheric pressure created a flooding situation in downtown Olympia on Sylvester Street adjacent to the Oyster House in December 2012.  

The City of Olympia has acknowledged and responded to sea level rise concerns since 1990. Since 2007, staff has been providing city council with annual updates on current climate change and sea level rise research, proposed work plans for addressing sea level rise, and reporting on their accomplishments regarding those plans.

The city set a policy in 2010 to protect downtown and sea level rise is reflected in goals and policies of the city’s 2014 Comprehensive Plan.

Immediately following the report, newly appointed Councilmember Clark Gilman asked how the decision was made to protect downtown and questioned the assumption that it should be saved.

“Looking at the two foot map (indicating sea level rise), you start to see the historical (shoreline)…It’s an interesting choice… To me, downtown is a collection of businesses and public spaces and it could be anywhere within the city limits….My initial gut (reaction) is that, I would much rather invest those resources in creating a more…resilient economy than trying to stop the floodwaters,” he said.

City manager Steve Hall said that the city made its commitment to protect downtown, rather than abandon it, in 2010, adding that a half billion dollars of investments are downtown, most notably the regional LOTT Clean Water Alliance wastewater treatment system.

Councilmember Jessica Bateman asked about Capitol Lake and how its reverting back to an estuary would impact downtown. She also asked about local and regional efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Without the dam, we would currently flood more frequently….the dam definitely helps control flooding downtown,” said Christiansen. He suggested that Heritage Park could be raised to prevent flooding downtown.

Rich Hoey, City of Olympia public works director, said that there will be study session scheduled in July regarding a plan to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions over the next three years. The city adopted an ambitious plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions of 80 percent by 2050.

“Quite frankly, we’re going to need regulatory help from higher levels of government to get there….” said Hoey.

Councilmember Jim Cooper said he would like to see the city produce a guidebook of simple adaptations and technical assistance for businesses. He also expressed a desire for downtown buildings to accommodate an eight foot sea level rise, and had concerns regarding the implications of contamination and the ability for underground utilities to deal with sea water inundation.

Cooper also requested that staff model what Olympia would look like if Moxlie Creek were daylighted, and asked if that would help stormwater holding capacity as a functioning estuary. 

Staff said they would look at that scenario. Moxlie Creek is currently 15 – 20 feet below ground, and runs more than a mile through downtown Olympia from Watershed Park to East Bay.

“An incremental adaption, initially preparing for a one to two foot sea level rise - whatever we do - should build the foundation for, and not preclude measures to address four to eight feet of sea level rise,” said Christensen.

Above: The city has 36 stormwater outfalls connected to Budd Inlet and Capitol Lake that are susceptible to backflow flooding. City staff and state Department of Enterprise Services staff prepare for more flooding the afternoon of December 10, 2015 at Capitol Lake in downtown Olympia. Earlier, tides came in 30 inches higher than predicted and caught staff off guard. Water came to within four inches of Olympia Supply's doors. With climate change, El Nino events will become greater in magnitude and flooding will increase in frequency. 

Other planning ideas included elevating the grade of Heritage Park and some roadways, placing planter boxes in strategic locations, and the building flood walls or gates that automatically rise when needed.  A barrier across a waterway, called a barrage, is being used in Venice, Singapore, on the Thames River in England, and the Netherlands.

The city plans to complete ongoing, current capital facility projects, work with the city’s Utility Advisory Committee to develop a multi-year sea level rise response plan, and coordinate its efforts with the council’s Land Use Committee.

Mayor Pro Tem Nathaniel Jones admitted that while progress has been made on data, local agencies do not have the capacity to do the kind of work that needs to be done on this issue.

Coming back around to Councilmember Gilman’s suggestion about abandoning downtown, Jones said the scenario of not making all the investments to protect downtown needs to be on the table and weighed into the overall conversation.

“That alternative is there and it should be respected.”

For past City of Olympia sea level rise reports and high tide events, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search button.

South Sounders Soak Up the Sun

Above: Heritage Park Fountain today in downtown Olympia.

 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

South Sounders today enjoyed sunshine and warm weather on the first day of summer.

 

Above: Copper artist Paul Schryver at West Central Park's June Jubilee today.

 

The June Jubilee at West Central Park located on the corner of Harrison and Division Streets hosted music, artisans, children’s crafts, gardening lessons, food, and more. While music by The Hinges played, Paul Schryver of Olympia showed me his copper sculptures. Schryver says he is self-taught and has been creating copper art for 15 years.

 

“My art is always evolving….look at this patina….” he said, as he showed me a piece of 100 year old copper. Although he specializes in recycled copper sculptures, he gets his new copper from Olympia Sheet Metal. He says his salmon look good in groupings along a cedar fence.

Above: Full Moon Radio played at Capital City Pride in Sylvester Park this afternoon. Pride festivities continue tomorrow.

Capital City Pride in downtown Olympia rocked. More music, food, and activities, including the Pride Parade, continues tomorrow. Go to www.CapitalCityPride.net for more information.

Above: A Yeti in downtown Olympia?

A Yeti was spotted downtown while kids enjoyed playing in the Heritage Park Fountain. Suspicions as to the Yeti’s authenticity was questioned, however, upon closer inspection, especially when it paused to pose, Hawaiian shaved ice cone in hand, for a picture with two boys from Wyoming.

Some, however, had to work or attend to the mundane such as lawn mowing and other long-overdue chores. The car washers and detailers at Shur Kleen Car Wash on Harrison Street did a great job today. The business is one of the sponsors of Capital City Pride.

Above: Shur Kleen Car Wash detailers had a big job cleaning this car today.

Public Restroom Realities in Olympia: Challenges to a Human Need, a Human Right

Above: The homeless stay near a public restroom on Percival Landing, on Sylvester Street, in downtown Olympia. The state Capitol Building is in the distance. The fencing is around the Oyster House restaurant, which burned down in July 2013.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Public restroom closures at night in Olympia dramatically impact the downtown business community, and the human rights of the homeless, and other members of the community simply needing to perform a regular function: peeing and pooping.

On Christmas night, I helped Crazy Faith Ministries feed a couple hundred people a wonderful feast under several tents in downtown Olympia. I ate a great meal and had pie and coffee too. And then, while enjoying the camaraderie for an hour or so, getting to know a couple of guys at my table, I realized I had to go to the bathroom.

Being Christmas night about 7:30 p.m., everything was closed.  The thought of how privileged and lucky I was to have a home to go to suddenly struck me as I left, just to go to the bathroom.

For street people, every night is a Christmas night with nowhere to poop or pee. Sure, on most nights, up to a certain time, some local businesses are open and may let some people come in to use the restroom, but many others don’t. Let’s face it, for many restaurants and businesses, the invitation is only open to those whose appearance is somewhat tidy.

And after regular business hours, a whole lot of street people have no other choice but to go wherever they can find a place.  And that’s usually in an alley or some bushes.

Public downtown restrooms, open from about 8:00 a.m. to dusk, are located at Intercity Transit, Heritage Park, Percival Landing, Marathon Park, the Olympia Center, the Farmer’s Market, East Bay near the LOTT Clean Water Alliance, and the Olympia Timberland Library. All locked at night.

The gate to West Bay Rotary Park is locked, but even if you sneak around it, the porta-potty located on that site is locked.

So, out of the whole litany of players working to make downtown a happier, safer, cleaner, more comfortable place for all, where is the accountability and responsibility for basic, 24/7 public restroom availability in the city, county, Parking and Business Improvement Area, or Olympia Downtown Association’s current list of priorities?

People need to go to the bathroom, every day and every night, like, now.

Downtown Ambassador Program Report

Rob Richards is the program manager for the Capital Recovery Center (CRC), a community mental health organization. Richards runs the Downtown Ambassador Program, which is a result of a contract between the City and CRC to provide the services it provides.

Richards says there was some discussion at the council level in 2013 about restrooms, but it dissipated pretty quickly as that issue was trumped by other priorities.

Their program statistics are impressive. In their January report, the Clean Team collected 91 bags of trash, 26 anti-social deposits, i.e. feces, cleaned up 446 incidents of graffiti, 339 stickers and 286 flyers, along with helping downtown community members in other ways.

“Currently we're working with the Washington Center for the Performing Arts staff to kick off a monthly cleanup downtown. The Second Saturday Spruce Up is a small scale volunteer event where we'll partner each month with a different local business or community group to do some basic clean up downtown, picking up litter, graffiti abatement, pulling weeds, etc. The point is to get more folks engaged in our neighborhood, bringing positive energy and action.”

He admits, when asked, that the lack of public restrooms is one of the biggest needs for downtown.

“Public restrooms are one of the biggest needs we have downtown, especially ones that are accessible at night. Presently there's no place to go after about 7:00 p.m. when the public facilities close. I've heard from many, many business and property owners that restrooms should be a priority given that they are dealing with the brunt of the issue in their storefronts and back doors in alleys.”

Richards says he doesn’t know how many porta-potties would be needed to accommodate the needs of the community at night.

“It kind of depends on the size and scope. We need at least one restroom available all night, centrally located in the downtown core.” Asked how one would be secured or monitored at night, Richards says that Pacific Security is one company that is already active downtown at night.

Richards says he’s not a fan of the porta-potty solution though.

“Best practices seem to show us that this isn't one that you can solve with a lighter, cheaper, faster approach. Successful public bathrooms need to be a part of the aesthetic of the neighborhood, a place worth caring about. Porta-potties don't come close to being something that the community will take pride in,” said Richards.

LOTT Clean Water Alliance’s Restroom

Ben McConkey, Public Facilities Coordinator for the LOTT Clean Water Alliance, knows all too well the issues about trying to keep a restroom open 24/7.  The restroom near LOTT on East Bay Drive is only open May through September and for special events.

“Anytime I have opened them up, we have problems…the drug use paraphernalia is overwhelming. I would love to figure out a solution and help our community in this realm…but it’s just too dangerous to keep it open 24/7, especially with so many children around.

“In 2013, we found, roughly, about 90 used needles on our downtown properties...at least 40 of those were East Bay Public Plaza restroom related. We dispose of these properly in sharps containers. We also found a box of 100 brand new needles in the men’s room on the East Bay Public Plaza last summer just ahead of Sand in the City. They were tucked up high on a dividing wall.”

McConkey showed Little Hollywood a few photos, including a picture of a long drip on the wall of the East Bay men’s restroom which McConkey said was tested to be a blood/heroin mix.

McConkey says LOTT is a willing participant in developing solutions. 
 
“Both our safety officer and I are involved with our downtown community through Brian Wilson and the Olympia Downtown Association. Safety is paramount in our projects and activities – and that safety is for everybody using a LOTT facility.  Sadly that means we must limit accessibility to the East Bay Public Plaza restrooms during the time of year when the plaza is getting a lot of use…and when we have a security officer on site. 

“We have provided secure access to the family bathroom, which has a lockable door from the inside, by keeping the door locked and having users contact the security officer for access.  The reason for this has been illicit drug use in the family bathroom. This summer the security officer will step up visits to the men’s and lady’s restrooms in order to deter the drug use in the bathroom complex,” says McConkey.

Heritage Park Restrooms To Be Closed on Water Street

Also in a critical location, the public restrooms at Heritage Park near the intersection of Water Street and Legion Way will be closed from March 3 until mid-May, according to a press release issued earlier this week by the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES).

Enterprise Services maintains the state's Capitol Campus, which includes several parks and restroom facilities. An inspection by an engineering firm confirmed the state assessment that the roof is failing and must be replaced. Fencing will be erected around the construction site during the project.

Three porta-potties and a hand-washing station will be placed nearby to serve the public during the closure. One of the porta-potties will be accessible to people with disabilities.

The limited interior work is intended to make the restrooms clean, safe and complaint with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. New fixtures and partitions will be installed.

Jim Erskine, communications consultant for Enterprise Services, told Little Hollywood that the porta-potties will be locked at night at the same time the restrooms are usually locked, at dusk. 

Erskine also said that the restroom's existing toilet fixtures will be changed out to a stainless steel type that is designed so that there is no seat to lift up. Apparently, people are taping used needles to the underside of toilet seats in order to save them for reuse. He said that DES custodial services staff frequently finds needles in the restrooms at Heritage Park.

City Research and the City of Olympia’s Downtown Project
 
The City of Olympia's Downtown Project is based on city council priorities and works in collaboration with a variety of downtown related organizations. Priorities are developed under the city's Land Use and Environment Committee, featuring a nicely written, grade-school type check-off list grouped under the categories of Clean, Safe, Economic Development, and Placemaking.

City staff member Brian Wilson spearheads that project, of which the Downtown Ambassador program is one piece. Wilson has been involved with this issue for a long time.

A couple years ago, Wilson presented detailed restroom options and cost assessments to the city General Government committee. Wilson outlined the costs, with positives and negatives of porta-potties (American Disability Act (ADA) accessible porta-potties are about $340 a month with twice a week cleaning; single sized porta-potties are about $210 a month), expanding hours for existing facilities (over $5,000 a month), and the construction, operation and maintenance of single stall restrooms similar to Portland’s Loo facilities ($50,000 - $100,000 to build and install; $1,215 a month to operate and maintain).

He also looked at current visitor restroom programs in Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Seattle which have implemented programs to provide public restroom access at private facilities in exchange for a fixed stipend or memorandum of understanding.

The information appeared to go nowhere due to a lack of funding options.

In December of 2013, Wilson gave the full council an update for Phase III of the Downtown Project’s workplan for 2014.  Solutions for 24 hour access to restrooms were not discussed, although he mentioned that a particular problem area where people openly defecated was recently fenced off.

A restroom is planned at the artesian well park on Fourth Avenue, as required by the mobile food vendor code, however, it is not anticipated to be open all night.

Interview with Brian Wilson about Restrooms

Wilson answered a few questions earlier this month from Little Hollywood about restroom accessibility in downtown.

Little Hollywood: I'm looking at Phase I and II Task Lists under the City's Land Use and Environment Committee, and I see a nice check-off list grouped under the categories of Clean, Safe, Economic Development, and Placemaking. Under Phase II, it mentions Expanding Restroom Availability, with a $5,000 allocation for a pilot project. Please explain.

Brian Wilson: Council allocated $5,000 toward creating public restrooms downtown in late 2012. We completed a feasibility study of different options other cities have used. The key to public restrooms (particularly 24 hour restrooms) is creating a managed solution (infrastructure, cleaning, security, etc). We learned that $5,000 is not enough money for a viable solution at this time. This is an issue that I could write several pages about.

LH: Specifically, I would like to know where the entire theme of restroom availability is in the city's, the Parking and Business Improvement Area (PBIA), and/or Olympia Downtown Association's current list of priorities. I am not seeing any.

BW: The overall theme is that there is no shortage of public restrooms during business hours. We have about eight or so in downtown. But after about 5:00 p.m., we don't have a solution at this point. The city, the county, and the business community all have an interest in this issue. The details of the facility are where it gets tricky....We used to have porta-potties behind the Eagles Club but those lead to a lot of criminal activity including public drinking, drug use, and sexual activities.

LH: This seems to be a human right issue, not a "safe" issue as it is listed under the current list of priorities.

BW: I agree that it's definitely a human right issue. We also need to realize that previous attempts have turned into safety issues for downtown. Proper maintenance and security are key. Location is key. That said, public restrooms absolutely need to be in the conversation going forward. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this and brainstorm ways to go forward. This is a community issue that involves several stakeholders. The restrooms would serve many different populations: homeless, visitors, etc.

LH: Is the Artesian Commons restroom planned to be open at night, or just when the mobile vendor trucks are open?

BW: At this time the Artesian Commons restroom will be open until the park closes at 7 PM. I am really pushing for the park to be open until 2 AM. The Artesian Commons is a step in the right direction. The current model is an improvement from the current condition and I'll be fighting to expand the hours as we move forward. No promises whether that will ever happen. Community feedback and support for such an idea is very important. It all comes down to site management...which is really a dollars and cents matter.

LH: I watched your Dec. 10, 2013 report to the council on Downtown Project, Phase III. Nowhere are restrooms a priority although I heard you were able to put a fence up around a problem area. As Councilmember Jones said, some things fell off the list. When does providing restrooms become part of the downtown conversation?

BW: Restrooms are still in the conversation. Funding sources is the real issue as it isn't cheap to make this crucial amenity successful.

I just met with over 20 bar owners and bartenders who made it very clear that we need 24-hour public restrooms in downtown Olympia. I couldn't agree more. What we're missing is a proposal that includes a managed solution that fits into the current funds available. It's not impossible, but it's trickier than many realize.

The Parking and Business Improvement Area (PBIA)

The PBIA was created by the Olympia City Council advisory committee in 2006, with board members elected annually by the PBIA ratepayers in downtown Olympia.
 
Businesses are assessed fees based on the number of employees. The fees are spent on various downtown projects such as $7,000 on the decorating of benches a few years ago. This year, they spent money giving out a string of Christmas lights to each participating business to make downtown look prettier for the holidays.

In the entire 19 page Parking and Business Improvement Area (PBIA) Five Year Strategic Plan for Downtown, 2011- 2015, the word “bathroom” or “restroom” is not mentioned once.

Olympia’s 2014 Downtown Master Plan

The city of Olympia will soon be embarking on its 2014 Downtown Master Plan, and opportunities will arise for plenty of public input into this vision.

“As a planning commission member, the homeless situation is now becoming more of “my” problem, so to speak, because of what we want downtown to become from a planning perspective,” says Carole Richmond, a member of the Olympia Planning Commission.

“To attract families, downtown needs to be clean, safe, and welcoming. Downtown is the heart and soul of Olympia and of the whole South Sound. It really seems to me that we should be making our best planning and redevelopment efforts there, which can include some housing and amenities, i.e. restrooms. I think we need a regional solution, not one that falls disproportionately on downtown Olympia. All cities want to attract entrepreneurs and employment. We're no different.”