Thurston County's Oregon White Oak Preserve: Take A Walk on the Wild Side

 

Above: Lacey residents Ruth Smith and Felicia Carroll witnessed this owl on November 11, 2013, about 300 feet into the woods from 27^th Avenue SE. “We spotted the owl near the end of our walk. Ruth went home to get her camera and went back to take the picture!” said Carroll. Photo Courtesy of Ruth Smith.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Oak Tree Preserve LLC of Bellevue proposes to subdivide 258.5 acres of land in unincorporated Lacey into 1,037 single-family residential lots.

For many, the potential loss of Thurston County’s largest remaining stand of Oregon White Oak, just over 76 acres, and 177 total acres of wooded area, home to a wide range of animals and plants, would be a devastating environmental legacy.

Notification about the development's March 24 public hearing was sent out on March 9. Hundreds of homeowners in subdivisions who live along the site’s perimeter on Marvin Road, 19th Avenue SE, 27th Avenue SE, and Priority Street SE were not notified because they live outside of the required notification area of 300 feet, which is roughly the length of a football field.

Prior to the public even being informed of renewed activity by the applicant, an environmental Mitigated Determination of Non Significance was issued by the county in December, 2014.

On March 4, county hearing examiner Sharon Rice threw out the nearby McAllister Park Homeowners Association State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) appeal on stormwater and oak habitat issues saying it “lacked standing.”

On March 23, the Association dropped another SEPA appeal saying that stopping the Oak Tree Preserve development appeared virtually impossible to fight considering the cost to the association and the risks involved. In exchange, Association president Mark Quinn got assurances from the developer that traffic calming measures would be put in place in McAllister Park.

Above: The proposed Oak Tree Preserve LLC development in Lacey is noticed (yellow sign) at the end of 27^th Avenue SE. Due to the rolling topography, neighbors have a hard time visualizing how thousands of drivers will use the current streets and intersections.

Oregon White Oak Habitat

According to the application, 177.2 acres of trees, out of the 258.5 acres, will be cut. The proposed “mitigation” calls for the planting of one tree for every 4,000 square feet of lot.

The largest Oregon White Oak stand is 64.6 acres but also extends onto adjoining properties. Forty-five percent of the Oregon White Oak, considered by the applicant to be “degraded,” will be destroyed.

Theresa Nation, habitat biologist for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, gave strong testimony about the Oregon White Oak grove at the preliminary plat hearing on March 24. Her written testimony comprises seven pages.

In the county’s response, its attorney rebuked Nation for her strong words, saying that “very seldom are we this far apart…” and criticized her for judging the project and the Habitat Management Plan (HMP) under the new county Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO). She was cross examined at length by the applicant.

In part, Nation stated:

“…Significant and avoidable impacts to Oregon white oak habitat have not been addressed. We respectfully recommend that the Office of the Hearing Examiner reject the habitat management plan….”

“Oregon white oak is the only oak species native to Washington. Some individuals of this slow-growing species may live for up to 500 years. Trees typically do not begin producing acorns until they are about 20 years old. Mature oak woodlands are virtually impossible to replace once they are gone. Oak woodlands provide a distinct ecosystem that contributes to wildlife diversity statewide. They are used by more than 200 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. The woodlands provide feeding, breeding, resting and sheltering habitat. Many invertebrates...are found exclusively in association with this oak species. Oak habitat in Washington may play a critical role in the conservation of neotropical migrant birds that migrate through or nest in Oregon white oaks.

“The Oak Tree Preserve project as proposed would result in the permanent destruction of 35.6 acres of oak woodlands. This includes the total loss of two distinct habitat areas. The 64.6-acre stand would be reduced by more than a third (24.0 acres). It would become a divided 38.3-acre preserve area and a disconnected 2-acre park. The outright loss of more than 35 acres of Oregon white oak woodland is by far the primary impact to this critical area. It is an impact of enormous proportions not only for the site, but for all oak woodland habitat in Thurston County. The HMP fails to address the gross impacts of the loss.

“The preserve area would be further degraded by the construction of the main collector road directly through it. Road-related impacts include but may not be limited to direct wildlife mortality and an increase in adverse edge effects. Over time, some oaks along the roadway are likely to be declared hazard trees and subsequently removed. This is a particularly problematic occurrence in oaks because snags and dead portions of live oaks provide important habitat for invertebrates and birds.”

The HMP offers a conceptual plan for compensatory mitigation activities. We find that the plan falls egregiously short of the mitigation needs for this project. The primary focus of the plan is to apply enhancement actions to the retained woodlands. Enhancement activities, even if successful, will not compensate for the permanent loss of almost 36 acres of habitat. The entire coverage of the woodlands carries a high value even in its somewhat degraded state. Indeed, attempting mitigation for the proposed level of impact would be extraordinarily complicated, time-consuming and expensive, with an uncertain outcome at best. WDFW experts familiar with this case are in agreement that it is likely impossible....”

Above: These spectacular Oregon White Oak trees on Oak Tree Preserve LLC's land in Thurston County are in danger of being destroyed. 

Take A Walk on the Wild Side

 

Ruth Smith, a retired nurse, and Felicia Carroll, a state worker, live near the proposed development and attended the plat hearing last week but, caught unprepared and uncertain of what to say, did not provide oral testimony. They are long time friends and with many other neighbors, walk the acreage, which contains many well-worn trails, and appreciate its beauty on a near daily basis. 
 

Through the years, they have witnessed owls, coyote, pileated woodpecker, bear, deer, fox, snakes, newts and more. They’ve identified a wide range of flora and fauna, learning their names and have learned when to expect the first blossoms and critters.

During a walk through the woodlands on Saturday, they stepped over a wandering newt, excitedly pointed out new buds, and lamented the tenacity of Scot’s Broom, a noxious weed. They also expressed disappointment that the Oak Tree Preserve LLC habitat wildlife biologist, Curtis Wambach, only came to the property three times to make his formal observations, devoting just one day each on prairie plants, the Western Gray Squirrel, and the Mazama Gopher.

As he testified at the March 24 plat hearing, Wambach said he only observed facilitative species on the property, meaning species that would occur on the site, developed or not.  

One day last spring, Carroll says she encountered the biologist on the trail who warned her that he had seen a big cat, perhaps a cougar or mountain lion, up ahead laying on a tree branch, looking down at him.
 

Carroll, who attended the hearing, said she was waiting to hear Wambach mention this sighting in his report to the hearing examiner, but he did not.
 

Above: Ruth Smith, left, and Felicia Carroll look at a shrub of Red-flowering Currant, or Ribes sanguineum, one of South Puget Sound's most prized native species and a magnet for the returning Rufous Hummingbird and other pollinators, which were in abundance on the Oak Tree Preserve property on Saturday. Neighbors of the area appreciate the acres of natural habitat.

After our walk through the woodlands, neighbor William Koopman, who also attended the hearing, said:

“It is critically unfortunate that the largest housing development to be built in Thurston County is slated to consume one its last and largest forests....The loss of this habitat is irrevocable. Once it is gone, it will be gone forever. Surely, these trees are worth saving.”

Carroll agreed, and said she heard a number of people at the hearing mention that the goal is to achieve a balance. 

“Given the amount of development in our general area in recent years and the amount of forest we have already lost due to development, in my eyes, we would best achieve balance by leaving what's left of the forest as is. I am hoping for a Hail Mary pass - I would love it if we could develop a coalition of private citizens, various levels of government, and a few nonprofit groups to band together to offer to buy the property from the owner.  The woods are well loved by a number of people in the various developments nearby. Maybe offer a tax credit or find some other ways of making it palatable for the owner.  I'm hoping for a miracle.  Losing that forest and all of its inhabitants would be like losing a dear friend,” Carroll said.

Mobilized to act by what they heard at the hearing, and given the extended deadline for written public comment, Smith and Carroll and several other neighbors have started a petition at http://tinyurl.com/thurston-oak which will be submitted to the hearing examiner as public comment. The image used to illustrate the petition is a White Fawn Lily, Erythronium oregonum, located on Oak Tree Preserve LLC property.

Public comment for the proposed development was extended until 4:00 p.m., Friday, April 3.  Written comment may be sent to Cami Petersen, Land Use Clerk, Resource Stewardship Department, Thurston County Office of the Hearing Examiner, 2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Building One, Second Floor, Olympia, WA 98502. Refer to Case: #2009103087.

For more information about the proposed Oak Tree Preserve development and hearing materials from March 24, go to http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/hearing/hearings/oak-tree-preserve/otp.html or contact Cami Petersen at peterscs@co.thurston.wa.us or (360) 754-2933.

A previous article about the Oak Tree Preserve development is dated March 24, 2015 is at Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com.

Above: Close-up of Red-flowering Current

Part Three: Fast-Tracking a Vision for Downtown Olympia under a Community Renewal Area Plan

Above: Kris Goddard (standing), Olympia city councilmember Julie Hankins, and city consultant Scott Fregonese create their vision of downtown Olympia at an urban design workshop held on April 5. Their vision transformed the Capitol Center Building block into a park, deleted part of Water Street, and established an electric trolley around the perimeter of the area.

 

by Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

An active visioning process for downtown Olympia is well underway and almost nobody knows about it. The results of this vision for downtown Olympia could seriously influence the built environment of downtown Olympia.

Another meeting of the city's Community and Economic Revitalization Committee (CERC) and its citizen advisory committee met tonight to discuss the financial assumptions of the scenarios they created in past workshops.

The consultants, on speaker phone, presented the information to the group via computer, making tiny spreadsheet numbers hard to see and the conversation hard to hear. Citing known and estimated rent and development costs, the numbers were admittedly rough - so rough that an open house previously discussed to possibly be held in July to involve the public in understanding these design scenarios will not occur.

“As we get into specific scenarios, there will be specific numbers...which will lead to a higher quality public process,” said Mayor Stephen Buxbaum.

Councilmembers Roe and Selby observed the meeting, along with several members of the public, but both left early. About 10 members of the 30 member advisory committee were in attendance.

Citizens are still not being invited to ask questions or comment on the information presented at the meetings.

Design Workshop Results

The city's consultants reviewed the results of the workshops to create three scenarios called the Base Case, the Central Park design, and the Green Connections design. They shared these results and scenario mock-ups with the city's Community and Economic Revitalization Committee (CERC) and their advisory committee on May 15.

At that meeting, John Fregonese said that the design workshop results showed that each table supported redevelopment of the Olympia Yacht Club parking lot, included a mix of uses on city-owned properties, and connected and extended Percival Landing.

The majority of table groups demolished the Capitol Center Building, better known as the nine story Mistake on the Lake, and redeveloped the ImageSource building, formerly known as the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.

There were notable differences in opinion on the location of park land, the mix of uses (i.e. turning the nine story Capitol Center Building into a hotel vs. a library or mixed use building), and adherence to current height limit restrictions.

Members of the citizen advisory group discussed needing more financial information attached to each scenario.

In response for tonight's meeting, the consultants chose to examine four parcels: the Olympia Yacht Club parking lot, the Capitol Center building parcel, the buildings east of Heritage Park, and the city owned properties and the building currently occupied by ImageSource.

Consultants estimated development costs associated with demolition, site preparation, surface and structured parking, park development, streetscape improvements, hard costs such as pilings, vacancy rates, and more.

Some citizen advisory committee members, like Mike Reid of the Port of Olympia, appeared eager to sink their teeth into real numbers, but that enthusiasm quickly dissipated as questions arose about the viability of the numbers and financial feasibility gaps presented in each design model area and approach.

In short, the numbers were soft, but consultant Loreli Juntunen said that it appeared that a remodeled area on the property east of Heritage Park is the “place to go for the greatest investment return.” This is the property currently occupied by Traditions Fair Trade and other businesses.   

Concern was expressed by citizen advisory committee member Jerry Reilly, representing the Olympia Capitol Park Foundation, that a purely public option or scenario was missing.

“Is there the market demand to warrant investment? How long will it take to develop it if it's not there? I'm worried about the Capitol Center building being redeveloped. The height is a problem,” he said.

Thera Black, representing the Thurston Regional Planning Council, responded that community visions do not always pencil out and may have to be adjusted.

Mayor Buxbaum agreed. “There's no slack anymore to make reactionary purchases...it isn't 2005, or 1986...we can't make mistakes. We need to make smart investments before we jump into a public process....”

Citizen advisory board member Rachel Newmann questioned whether or not the city should be investing in downtown. Can we afford it? Should we do it?

Since Olympia does not have a united community vision about downtown's appropriate level or area of growth and development, there were several long pauses in the conversation. Finally, Juntunen said that multi-family developments are occurring in Olympia primarily along the edges of its urban growth boundary. In contrast, many other cities, such as Portland and Dallas, are experiencing infilling.

“I bring that up to say...you have to set the stage properly for that to happen. Portland started that in 1970 - you have to make intentional investments to make that happen....” She admitted those were councilmember decisions. Juntunen, a consultant with ECONorthwest, is based in Portland.

Reilly commented, “The option of doing nothing falls under its own weight rather quickly.”  Buxbaum said that the private sector is trying to plug the holes as best they can.

The next meeting of the city's Community and Economic Revitalization Committee is July 21. The next meeting of the committee and its advisory group is August 7.  

Nine Story "Views on Fifth Avenue" Building Confusion

Trying to plug a literally and figuratively leaking nine story, 75,000 square foot investment hole are the owners of the Views on Fifth Avenue at 410 Fifth Avenue.

Two recent, somewhat misleading articles in The Olympian dated June 13 and June 22 caused confusion about the building's status.

According to city staff, there is no actual permit for a hotel at this location, nor did the building's owners receive the current permit on May 27. Just because the developer's goal is to turn the former office building into a hotel does not make it so.

Former city building inspector Tom Hill signed off on the building owner's commercial tenant improvement permit application plans for a structural retrofit on December 3, 2013, which was good for six months. A representative for the owners came in and picked up the permit last month on May 27 because it was going to expire on June 3. Once the permit was picked up, the owners have six months to start work. This permit will stay valid for another six months if they do the work and get an inspection.

The permit on file with the city from October 2010, permit number 10-3309, is the one on record.

“Bottom line is that the permit they received only allows them to proceed with the structural modifications that would allow the building to be converted to a hotel or other residential occupancy at some point in the future. We have not received plans for that conversion yet,” Keith Stahley, director of the city’s Community, Planning and Development department clarified today for Little Hollywood.

Above: The nine story Capitol Center Building, left, and Traditions Fair Trade on the corner of Fifth and Water Street.

CERC/CAC Participant Perspectives

Councilmember Julie Hankins is a member of the city’s Community and Economic Revitalization Committee (CERC).

Asked last month for her perspective on the downtown visioning process and the design workshops held so far, Councilmember Hankins responded:

“I was extremely happy with the collaboration, cooperation, and compromise that we saw occurring….Since our intent with the workshop was to bring different viewpoints to the table and see if we could provide an opportunity for those differing viewpoints to converse and find areas of consensus, I would say our goal was met.

“The next steps, of course, are to review with the participants their experience and find where we can improve the format.  Like any pilot project, we must start small, carefully review, analyze, and make needed adjustments to our model and then, when we decide to move this forward, consider possible ways of introducing this model to the larger community. We have a ways to go on this journey, but it was so nice to see a real conversation between differing viewpoints occur in our community. These are the types of constructive, inclusive conversations that are going to move this community forward.

“Again, understanding that the real emphasis is on the process, not the end result, the important lessons to take away from our scenario are you must let go of preconceived ideas and wants, and think outside of the box. We were extremely successful in crafting a plan once we let go of our preconceived ideas of where things “had” to go or where we “wanted” them to be and stopped focusing on our individual wants and instead focused on the community’s needs.  Once we did this the sky became the limit for us and our ideas….Our group was great because we had such divergent viewpoints that were able and willing to listen and hear one another. ”

Kris Goddard, the lone “citizen at large” representative to the committee, was also asked to comment how she heard about the downtown visioning process and her interest in serving.

“In May 2013, I learned about the budding citizen advisory committee’s (CAC) formation from Rachel Newmann, who had been appointed to (it) as the Heritage Committee's representative.  I decided to contact Keith Stahley and ask if there might be a place for me in the group. I had gotten to know Keith when I served on a hiring committee for Community, Planning and Development in 2012. His response was yes, and my designation would be ‘citizen-at-large.’
 
“You might wonder why I requested the chance to serve: four women and I formed a grass-roots group which we named 2020 Vision Olympia in the summer of 2008. We were registered with the Secretary of State and had a website…until 2012.  It was the proposed isthmus rezone that fueled our activism. We were strongly opposed to the Tri Vo project. We felt adamant that the Capitol Campus views and Budd Bay/Olympics views needed to be protected.  But our larger mission was to persuade city leadership to engage an urban design team to conduct a community-wide visioning process to help citizens plan downtown Olympia – an urban design team that would then remain engaged for at least the early stages of the plan's economic implementation.

“In subsequent years, most of us…and four others who joined our group in 2009…have worked to elect council members who we hoped could be persuaded to embrace this planning and design model for revitalizing the downtown. With little to show for our efforts, 2020 Vision Olympia just sort of faded away over a year ago.

“I have learned from and been heartened by my experience on the CAC thus far.  It's the first opportunity I have had to sit down with local developers, representatives from downtown businesses and representatives from entities such as the Port and the Economic Development Council to hear their visions for potentially revitalizing some of the isthmus properties. Even though we don't always agree, I respect them all because I have learned a lot about their skill-sets, perspectives and bodies of knowledge. I think I finally understand where most of them are coming from. It's also the first time in several years that I have felt hopeful that the blight at the west entrance to our downtown may eventually become part of a larger area that will make Olympia proud and – best case scenario – perhaps trigger a broader downtown transformation.”

For more information about downtown Olympia, the Community Renewal Area plan and process, and past and proposed plans for the isthmus, go to www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search button.

Above: Another table's design workshop vision on April 5 created a parking garage in front of the Olympia Yacht Club.

 

Editor's Correction: In the May 7, 2014 story, "Fast Tracking a Vision for Downtown Olympia under a Community Renewal Area Plan - Part One", it was Erica Cooper, downtown property manager, not Lori Drummond of Olympia Federal Savings, who presented her table's design at the April 5 design workshop. 

Fast Tracking a Vision for Downtown Olympia under a Community Renewal Area Plan – Part One

Above: Fast-moving city council sponsored design workshops and discussions are generating a proposed vision for downtown Olympia. At an open house this coming July, the public will be invited to comment on just two downtown and isthmus-area scenarios.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

An active visioning process for downtown Olympia is well underway and almost nobody knows about it. The results of this vision for downtown Olympia could seriously influence the built environment of downtown Olympia.

The public is not scheduled to be included in the process until this coming July, when the community will be invited to comment on just two possible downtown and isthmus-area scenarios.

Keith Stahley, the City of Olympia community planning and development manager, says there may be a public outreach component added to the city's scope of work. The objective, he says, is to finish the Community Renewal Area process in 2014.

What’s a Community Renewal Area?

In 2011, the city formed an ad hoc Community Renewal Committee and changed the name of this committee to the Community and Economic Revitalization Committee (CERC) in February of this year to deal with downtown blight. This committee intends to deal with downtown blight through a community renewal area plan.

Under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 35.81, Community Renewal Law, the City of Olympia has started a process to develop a Community Renewal Area (CRA).

The intent of a Community Renewal Area is to combat blight, such as dilapidated, vacant buildings, and focus limited resources to create the greatest possible return on an investment. The city hopes to do this by creating a CRA and developing a formal community renewal plan.

RCW 35.81 has some potentially controversial elements. Washington State law prohibits the “lending of credit,” or transferring of public property to a private party. Olympia cannot acquire land and then turn it over to a private company for development purposes.

RCW 35.81, however, provides an option for cities to overcome this restriction as long as certain conditions are met and there has been a “sufficient community process” undertaken to ensure the need for the project.

The city has embarked upon this path and apparently considers the visioning process currently underway as “sufficient.”

With a CRA, the city will be able to acquire property, transfer city-owned property to private parties, improve properties for public or private use, perform rezones for particular properties regardless of the growth management or comprehensive planning cycle, and borrow money or apply for grants to carry out community renewal. And this is all for starters.

A CRA feasibility study was recently prepared by the consulting firm ECONorthwest and is being used to address the many challenges facing the revitalization of Olympia.

The Community and Economic Revitalization Committee (CERC)

A city Community and Economic Revitalization Committee is composed of Mayor Stephen Buxbaum, and city councilmembers Mayor Pro Tem Nathaniel Jones and Julie Hankins.

A grandly titled Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) was chosen to advise the committee since June of 2013. The 30 plus member group has been meeting on a regular basis, fast-tracking a vision for downtown Olympia’s isthmus area, meeting several times in the past couple of months.

When asked about the citizen advisory committee membership, Stahley, said it was created by the city’s consulting team, ECONorthwest, “with input from the staff and the CERC to provide a balanced perspective on downtown redevelopment.”

With the help of consultants, the group’s visions for downtown Olympia will be distilled into two scenarios, which will be presented to the community for public involvement in July.

In addition to those two committees, several additional downtown property owners have been invited to participate in at least three recent Community Renewal Area urban design workshops held on March 6, April 5, and April 16. An earlier fourth meeting with property owners was held in February to frame the purpose and timing of the subsequent workshops. 

These property owners include representatives of the Olympia Yacht Club, Bayview, the Oyster House, Traditions Fair Trade, the Capitol Center Building, and ImageSource.

Above: Traditions Fair Trade is on the corner of 5th and Water Street with the nine story Capitol Center Building rising above it on the next block. In the March 6 city meeting with property owners, Ray LaForge, who has owned the building for 31 years, said he believes the building should be replaced. He says that it is no longer energy efficient and envisions a new structure facing Heritage Park and the fountain, but was adamant in saying that during potential changes, the economic viability of the tenants must not be harmed.

Letting the Chips Fall Where They May – The Vision of a Few

The players invited to create this vision for downtown reads like a Chamber of Commerce roster, with five organizations or groups being allowed two seats at the table, such as the Thurston County Economic Development Council, Thurston Regional Planning Council, the West Olympia Business Association, the Olympia Capitol Park Foundation, and the city Planning Commission.

Three seats are offered for downtown property owners, occupied by Camron McKinley, Erica Cooper, and Jim Morris.

Other invited organizations with one representative each include the Visitor and Convention Bureau, the Olympia Downtown Association, the Thurston County Chamber, the Port of Olympia, the Yacht Club, Intercity Transit, and Timberland Regional Library.

City advisory committees such as the Olympia Parking Business Improvement Area, and the Heritage Commission are also represented by one person each.

Other businesses or organizations invited are Olympia Federal Bank, Capital Recovery Center, and a social service position represented by Paul Knox, executive director of the local United Way.

The lone citizen at large position is held by Kris Goddard, who is listed as a member of a now defunct community group called Olympia 2020.

The consultant group is currently budgeted to accomplish its work at $155,000. Stahley says that an offsetting $25,000 grant from the Community Economic Revitalization Board is included in that amount.

Step One: Categorizing Downtown Properties

Property ownership continues to be cheap and easy in downtown Olympia, leading to a myriad of owners and visions that look like a crazy scene inside of a kaleidoscope.

Indeed, the community is still deeply divided on a cohesive vision for downtown.

Uncertainties around retail, housing, environmental hazards, old infrastructure such as aging water pipes, some older than 50 years, shoreline regulations, zoning, and sea level rise are just a few factors that keep private investors away from downtown.

At a March 6 CERC/CAC/property owners meeting, the group categorized downtown property parcels into categories for future land use: stable, redevelopment, and adaptive reuse.

Indicated by name cards, workshop participants were told where to sit at each table, as much as possible, to include a city councilmember, a planning commissioner, a city staff person, and assorted others.

Along 4th and 5th Avenues heading east into downtown, the checkerboard results considered Bayview grocery store to be stable, the former Kentucky Fried Chicken (now ImageSource) to be adaptive or re-developable; the now City of Olympia owned properties to be re-developable; the Olympia Yacht club to be stable and adaptive; the Capitol Center building and related properties to be adaptive and re-developable; the Oyster House property to be stable; and the City of Olympia owned Heritage Park fountain area stable.

The buildings bordered by Water Street and 4th and 5^th Avenues, owned by three different entities, which includes Traditions Fair Trade, is considered re-developable property. 

Let’s Play!

On April 5 and April 16, the select group met at several tables for design workshops in city hall chambers. Using scissors, glue, and multi-colored pieces of paper, the purpose of the meetings was to create a vision for what many call the most valuable and visually spectacular six blocks of real estate in the country: downtown Olympia and the area known as the isthmus.

“You’d have to go far and wide to find land like this…it’s a world class piece. You all know that, if you can come together…it’s a remarkable piece…” gushed John Fregonese, a consultant also working with the city, at the April 5 workshop.

At the Saturday, April 5 workshop, Olympia councilmembers Stephen Buxbaum, Nathaniel Jones, and Julie Hankins participated, while councilmembers Cheryl Selby and Jeannine Roe sat in the back to observe the process or mill around during the discussions. Councilmembers Steve Langer and Jim Cooper did not attend.

Buxbaum and Hankins also participated with a make-up session on April 16 including several participants for those unable to attend the April 5 session. Several members of the public sitting in the back of the room at each of these meetings were not invited to participate or give comment.

The meetings are not officially audio or videotaped, but Walt Jorgensen, a Tumwater citizen, was seen in the back of the room videotaping the April 5 workshop.

The possibility of increasing building heights in downtown Olympia came up in at least two table groups.

Above: From lower left to right: Urban design workshop participants Rachel Newmann, city councilmember Nathaniel Jones, Allen Miller, Craig Holt, Max Brown, and Amy Buckler plan a vision for downtown Olympia on April 5.

April 5: Sample Table Discussion/Visioning Process

 

Quickly milling around the tables did not provide me a cohesive picture of the rationales being discussed for why the multi-colored pieces of paper were being placed where they were. I decided, with city manager Steve Hall’s permission, to become a potted plant on the side of a randomly selected table.

The table was represented by Councilmember Nathaniel Jones; city planner Amy Buckler; city Planning Commission chair Max Brown; Rachel Newmann, a member of the Heritage Commission; Allen Miller, attorney; and Craig Holt, representing the Olympia Downtown Association.

The paper chips: Red represented “mixed use.” Ochre represented “commercial.” Pink represented “employment.” Yellow represented “residential.” Blue represented “civic.” Green represented “open space.”

Some color “chips” were set aside off the map of downtown for the sake of quick resolution, and what was actually glued down to the map was heavily influenced by the desires of the individual participants of the table. 

Blank colored chips were provided for participants to write in their own ideas. And that they did. Four times, attorney Allen Miller repeated his desire during the course of the hour conversation that he wanted to see a big carousel down on the isthmus, and in the end, he got it.

Right off, Miller wanted a public restroom right next to Heritage Park Fountain, and he got it – a big one. Then, Miller wanted a museum in cooperation with the Squaxin Island Tribe. He got it.

Newmann wanted an amphitheater.

“I can see Olympia enjoying that on a summer night and in winter, it could be iced over and have it be an outdoor ice rink!”

Brown agreed, “You’ve got a show without a T.V.”

A daycare, library, and garden center were also discussed. No senior housing was wanted by the group “because the Boardwalk is nearby.”

A hotel/conference center? No.

A fitness center? “I can see it incorporated into something else, like a daycare,” said Jones.

An adult learning facility? “I can see TESC or St. Martin’s having a vision here…” said Jones.

A bookstore? “Put an asterisk on it,” said Jones.

Gateways such as monuments, bus shelters, crosswalks, and streetlights were discussed.

“What about the Yacht Club?” someone asked.

“I’m not sure if their location is tenable,” said Jones. They may need to move onto land due to sea level rise…Percival Landing may also apply. It may be extended on land.” The complications of the fact that all tidelands are leased by the state Department of Natural Resources were pointed out.

Newmann suggested that Bayview’s parking lot doesn’t need to be a surface lot and suggested it be turned into mixed use housing facing Budd Inlet.

“I think that’s a great concept…there’s a lot of hard surface on this property. I’m interested. That’s a good conversation to have,” said Brown.

Miller interrupted, saying he’s more interested in getting rid of blight.

Asked for his opinion, Holt said, “I have a hard time starting the discussion on the one big piece of nice property.”

Jones agreed with Newmann that the group needed to think of downtown in terms of its context, taking advantage of the setting.

“We need to exploit it in the most positive sense, what we’ve got here.”

Miller reminded the group that there’s a 35 foot height limit in this area.

“Whatever goes here should look nice 350 degrees…housing, retail….” said Newmann, pointing to the area currently occupied by Traditions.  

Jones pointed to the retail strip near the Heritage Park fountain lot. “Do we want it to stay retail?”

“I have no problem with Traditions staying. I could live with it,” said Miller.

People could get different kinds of mortgages if they live above their shop,” said Newmann.

The consultant stopped by to check on their work, and remarked on the big restroom placed next to the Heritage Park fountain. It took up the whole space where Da Nang restaurant, the Alano Club, and other businesses currently occupy.  Buckler said, “We like water,” but acquiesced, trimming it down to a tiny square.

“One block done!” someone in the group exclaimed at 10:45 a.m.

Next, the group tackled the block occupied by The Views on Fifth Avenue, also known as the Capitol Center Building, but better known as the nine-story “Mistake on The Lake.”

“There are concerns about how it can be reused…it’s a challenge…it could be lofts, mixed retail…” started Jones. “I don’t know…I don’t have a grand vision – it would be incredibly expensive to take down and rebuild.”

Miller said, “It’s blight, it needs to come down. We need a covered carousal, or an artesian well fountain. There used to be one in Capitol Lake that was capped. We need another draw.”

Brown: “Anchor fountains!”

Newmann said that in Missoula, there’s a carousal that is loved, where receptions and weddings are held. “It’s not just for kids.”

Holt said, “I’ve never considered that. The building needs to come down. I don’t know what it would cost to bring it down, and there’s a contamination issue….”

Brown called the question. Does anyone think it should stay in its current state?

No one did.

Brown said there needs to be a cohesive feel to the area.

“These two blocks need to match, or these two, or all of it,” he said, pointing to a couple blocks. “I’m going to say something that I think will get me into trouble. I think we need a height increase. Not 90, or 75, but maybe 42 feet….I like the idea of a live-work space….I’m not opposed to TESC downtown – I don’t think the isthmus is the right place. We need office space. I’ve heard people say (when they worked there), ‘It was the most beautiful place I’ve ever worked.’ We could bring in tech companies, family wage jobs or better!”

“And then we can bring back KFC!” exclaimed Holt.

“I don’t think Larida Passage was the greatest idea…” started Brown.

Newmann interjected. “It’s my turn – it’s a million dollar view! I understand Olympia is in dire straits but we need to put it in context. What does it mean for Olympia and the Capitol? People in Olympia voted and changed the council because we didn’t want to raise the height. The community is exhausted on that. Now we want to do something to maintain this. We could have attractive housing looking over Budd Inlet, looking out. I don’t think we need to give the best of Olympia away….”

“Think how drastically we could make things work if we had seven more feet,” mused Brown.

“What about an artist space?” asked Newmann. “A civic space? A plaza and place for people to bring people in after they walk around the lake. They need a place to duck into….an art space with TESC and the Squaxin Tribe….”

“We need revenue. It’s not huge revenue on its own. We need partnerships,” said Brown.

“I don’t think any developer is going to want to be down there with housing at 35 feet,” said Holt.

“I want a destination that brings people off of I-5, like the Hands On Children’s Museum on steroids,” said Jones.

“We need to touch the water. I want to see a corridor. I don’t care about the current street pattern,” said Newmann.

“We can do anything…” said Jones.

“Seventy percent of people would vote for a bond to bring that building down,” said Newmann.

“There’s no need for the CRA,” said Brown. “It sounds like what we’re getting at is a public purpose…This is an area where we have one shot at it,” said Brown.

Newmann again urged housing in the parking lot of Bayview and the Yacht Club looking toward the water.

The subject of more civic and park space was discussed.

“I don’t want pasture land. Being in Olympia, it rains a lot, it would create another marsh. I don’t mind a little green - we live in a climate that that doesn’t make it useful,” said Brown.

“What’s this?” Buckler picked an orange chip off the map. It was the hotel/conference center chip. It was taken off the map by quick consensus.

As time was called for the tables to wrap up, Buckler proceeded to glue down the chips the group had agreed upon, onto the map.

Above: Urban design workshop participant Jerry Reilly, a member of the Olympia Capitol Park Foundation, acts as spokesman to explain the rationale for his table's group vision. The table participants for this group included Reilly; Olympia city councilmember Julie Hankins, Ray LaForge, a business and property owner; Kris Goddard; and city paid group facilitator, Scott Fregonese.

 

Scenario Review

Holding up his table’s map for the group to inspect, Jerry Reilly asked the group to “suspend beliefs and assumptions.” His group, which included Councilmember Julie Hankins, featured a very large park, and some housing with retail below, to “preserve the area’s iconic views.”

Amenities included an electric trolley instead of DASH, a restaurant where ImageSource is, an extension of Percival Landing, and keeping Bayview, what he called “America’s most beautiful grocery store.”

Brown explained his table’s design and Thera Black, Thurston Regional Planning Council, offered her table’s design, which included a small boat launch where the current restroom is on Percival Landing near the Oyster House. Historically, one used to be there.

“Restore it, gain public access to the water, close off the road…extend Percival Landing, with a second place for public access by ImageSource, make a U-Turn in the parking lot, and create a new connection to Deschutes Parkway to help circulation…”

Lori Drummond, Olympia Federal Savings, offered her table’s design featuring a blocked off street, a parking garage with retail on the bottom, a second floor on Bayview, an amphitheater, kiosks, and a public market.

She said the group was neutral on ImageSource since it has 45 employees, “but if something could be worked out to move it, it could be a park with a fountain, widening Yashiro Street for a library….” Her group kept all the thoroughfares and extended Percival Landing, created a walkway under the bridge and a pedestrian overpass to the Westside, and kept the retail area on Water Street currently occupied by Traditions.

It was this group that also suggested that heights could be higher.

Multiple Layers involving Downtown

The city is currently involved in a variety of concurrent, multiple, overlapping master processes, i.e. Imagine Olympia, the Comprehensive Plan, the Shoreline Master Plan (which is now at the state Department of Ecology for review), and the upcoming Downtown Master Plan which will soon be undertaken by the Planning Commission.

Asked later how these all work together with the new downtown revitalization plan, Stahley said, “That remains to be seen. It depends on the outcome. Generally all of the documents you reference support the continuation of our downtown as a vital and central part of our community and our region. Each of these planning efforts helps to move us in that direction. The Community Renewal Area is primarily directed at the elimination of blight in downtown. The Saturday, April 5 workshop was an effort to start to define what shape that might take and to learn how to talk to one another.”
 
Next: Part Two - Fast Tracking a Vision for Downtown Olympia under a Community Renewal Area Plan