Tumwater Brewery District Plan Heard

 

 

Open House and Public Hearing held Tuesday night

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The Tumwater City Council and the Tumwater Planning Commission held an open house and a public hearing Tuesday night regarding the Brewery District Plan in Tumwater. Both events were held at South Sound Manor.

The purpose of the Brewery District Plan is to guide future development to create a mixed-use district that supports a variety of businesses and residential uses. Strategies are proposed for improving the transportation system as well as the function and character of the historic center of Tumwater.

The themes presented in the Brewery District Plan offer to create a stronger sense of place, improve transportation options, safety and access, expand and preserve economic opportunity and activity, and improve the function and appearance of the built environment.

The city has held several open houses, which have all been well attended, with between 125 – 200 people in attendance at each meeting. City of Tumwater planner Tim Smith said that 6,000 people are on their Brewery District Plan mailing list, 1,500 are on the email list, and staff has met onsite to interview 50 business owners.

A focus group of 16 citizens, business, and property owners, community leaders, and elected officials have met over the past year to process the information. The Thurston Regional Planning Council and consultants have assisted in the process, which began in 2012.

The city hosted an open house at the same location prior to the public hearing. Easels with posters were set up around the room explaining land use alternatives, transportation and gateway elements, pedestrian and bicycle improvements, and transit and parking strategies.

Little has changed since the last public open house held in October. The draft plan was revealed in late January.

Transportation patterns in Tumwater have changed dramatically in the last 15 – 20 years. Much of it is generated from outside the area and much of it is pass-through traffic. When people take the bus, they often use the transit station on Cleveland Avenue near Safeway.

Dennis Bloom, planning manager of Intercity Transit, mingled with community members during the open house and stayed for the hearing. Bloom lives in Tumwater, where he says he does 90 percent of his shopping. When asked, Bloom explained the transit element, illustrated by a poster on an easel.

“At the transit station, four routes come together on Cleveland - #43 to the Westside, #68 to Lacey, #12 to neighborhoods and downtown, and #13 along the Capitol Way corridor. The plan is to move the transit station to Capitol Way…in its current location, the sidewalk doesn’t currently accommodate people, it’s not wide enough. It’s the busiest area in Tumwater.” Bloom said 300 – 400 people are served per transfer at that transit center.

Before the hearing, Sally Nash, chair of the Tumwater Planning Commission, said that the District Plan materials have been educational. A resident of Tumwater for 19 years, Nash is the retired manager of the Timberland Library in Tumwater.

“I’m very proud to be a Tumwater resident. The Plan is wonderful and exciting for the area, and quite futuristic. I don’t see it happening immediately. We’ve had tremendous input from the public….we have an involved citizenry.”

Tumwater residents Nick and Jaime Vann said they have come to several open houses. Looking over the easel information, Nick Vann said, “This is what it could be, but there needs to be incentives for developers. We have a lot of underused and inefficient areas, transportation-wise in particular. There’s currently no sense of place either. It’s important to get community buy-in so if we have to vote on any of this, then we know more. We’re homeowners – so we’ll be paying for it.”

Before the hearing, Mayor Pete Kmet and staff gave a 45 minute history of the draft Brewery District Plan, and said that the plan lays the foundation for future efforts.

“There’s money in the budget for the next level of planning, but we’re a long way from construction,” said Tumwater Mayor Pete Kmet at the beginning of the hearing.

Public testimony covered a diversity of topics. Despite the ongoing publicity, open houses and meetings, some business owners were caught off guard with the Plan’s proposals.

Dan Vavrinec, general manager for Falls Terrace restaurant, said that initial flyers did not include the restaurant in the focus areas discussed. The restaurant has been in Vavinec’s family since 1969. His concerns were around the loss of parking in both options.

“Proposed changes…to Deschutes Way would be devastating and without doubt cause the closure of the Falls Terrace.” He said that option 1 would remove 50 parking spaces, and option 2 would remove 28 spaces, and both would place parking farther away. “Either option 1 or 2 would mean the loss of an area icon and the loss of employment for 42 persons.”

Vavrinec said that the current parking area is used and shared by Tumwater Falls Park in peak season, many community events such as the Duck Dash in June, and nearby businesses. He offered alternative proposals and improvements to the area.

Lonnie Lowe, Tumwater Chiropractic Center, and Larry Weaver of The Valley Club supported Vavrinec’s testimony, and added their own concerns.

“The reality is, when you change parking, it’s detrimental to business. People drive to where they want to go….urban centers haven’t taken off as much as people would like them to. When I go to downtown Olympia, if I have to circle the block a few times, I go to the mall. People with bad backs don’t ride their bikes….” said Lowe.

Weaver said The Valley Athletic Club has 11,000 members, and while the District Plan was an interesting concept, re-routing traffic and changing parking would present difficulties for the club and the Tumwater golf course.

Chris VanDaalen said that he appreciated the community process and said that the proposed zoning code amendments would provide a good opportunity for Tumwater to become a carbon neutral community, and a model for energy efficiency. He encouraged the use of renewable resources, being mindful of building orientation, and solar options to achieve net zero energy usage.

Bob Jacobs, a member of the Governor Stevens neighborhood, expressed concern about the general commercial zoning in the Sunset triangle neighborhood area, saying there was no buffer between the triangle and residential area. He also urged that as the area becomes more dense, to not forget parks for green space.

Sandra Brown, Capital Council of the Blind, said she appreciated the audible signals in the area, but had concerns about safety on Cleveland at the Intercity Transit transfer station.

“Right now we need to cross Cleveland…it’s very dangerous – you take your life in your hands. I’ll have the same concerns if it’s on Capitol Way.” She suggested the closure of the area around Safeway on Cleveland from the inside of both driveways into Tumwater Square, so that cars can’t access the area in the middle of Cleveland. Brown said this suggestion has been brought up before but didn’t make it into the final draft proposals.

Jack Horton, president of the Woodland Greenway Trail Association, said that the Plan presents a huge transformation to the area. “Pedestrians and bicyclists are the indicator species of a community’s values…it’s face-to-face instead of windshield-to-windshield. We have a growing knowledge-based economy, and what’s going to happen is, those people are going to select the kind of community they want to live in….and Tumwater has some iconic treasures….”

Walt Jorgenson, a former Tumwater city councilmember, asked that the council exercise caution about the nature of their investments. “If the private sector isn’t doing it, then there might be a reason for it…pick and choose elements of the plan that may be better than another.”

Stewart Hartman said he’s lived in Tumwater “since the town had a population of 800 people”, and that his father was hired to work for the brewery by the Schmidt family. He’s been working on an ambitious proposal to convert the brewery into an international cultural center, an environmental center, a day care center, a small vendor’s ‘world’s fair’ type of program, and restaurant, describing his plan as “a major co-op where everyone owns it and the profits can to redistributed to everyone in the county…it’ll have something for everyone.”

Judy Bardin appreciated the Plan’s visuals, and urged that the commission and the council maintain historic views. She also expressed concerns about putting people near traffic as the area becomes more densely populated, saying that health research indicates that there are adverse health effects such as childhood asthma, and that light pollution and noise from traffic causes hypertension and sleep disturbances.

The planning commission will consider all comments, make modifications to the Plan, and make recommendations to the city council. They will meet for work sessions to discuss the Plan on February 25 and March 11. A recommendation from the commission to Tumwater city council is expected in March.

Copies of the draft Brewery District Plan are available for review  in the Community Development Department at Tumwater City Hall, 555 Israel Road SW, Tumwater, during regular business hours, or online at www.trpc.org.

Low Barrier Homeless Shelter Forum Set

Above: A homeless person sleeping mid-day in plain sight on Columbia Street last month.

The People's House: Shelter Discussion on Wednesday

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Coordinators for The People's House, a proposed low barrier homeless shelter project that will provide day and night services to chronically homeless adults, will host a public forum on Wednesday, February 19th, 7:00 pm in the sanctuary of Temple Beth Hatfiloh, 201 8th Ave SE, in downtown Olympia.

A presentation for a 40 bed low barrier shelter for the homeless, now proposed to be located in downtown Olympia, will include ample time for questions and answers.

The People’s House is a project of Interfaith Works, a 501c3 nonprofit. Coordinators assure that the facility will be a safe environment, and monitored by trained, paid, qualified staff.

In a February 3 email from Meg Martin, program director for The People’s House, Martin announced the first installment of a video series that will be used for community outreach, engagement and education as the group continues to secure a downtown site for the shelter.

“As we pursue finding a location that we can call home, we have started initial outreach to surrounding neighbors and businesses of 113 Thurston St. NE. This is a starting point for dialogue. We are prepared for on-going outreach and communication to ensure that we are a positive and necessary piece of the puzzle for improving downtown. Thank you all so much for your time and consideration.”

In the 15 minute video, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb11cjXTwoI The People’s House project coordinators Meg Martin, Cassie Burke, and Jefferson Doyle present their case, and the need for a community low barrier shelter.

“Homelessness is a complicated issue and The People’s House is one essential component of a solution,” says Burke in the video.

The shelter will service a diverse audience in need: adult men and women, couples, elderly, pet owners and service animals, overflow clients from the Safeplace domestic violence shelter, members of the LGBTQ community, and those with mental health challenges.

The facility will offer a community space, garden and kitchen, bathroom, shower and laundry facilities, internet, hygienic supplies, personal storage, a physical mailing address, and in partnership with Capital Recovery Center, offer a place to receive mental health support.

In the video, homeless advocate Selena Kilmoyer says the shelter is ideal for 2014.

“It’s a downtown hub of hope and solidarity which is so dramatically needed.”

Current statistics proving the street community’s needs are being supplied three ways: a direct survey conducted last year of the street community, a gaps analysis conducted by Thurston County homeless coordinator director Theresa Slusher, and the most recent “point-in-time” Homeless Census count.

In the video, Anna Schlect, housing manager for the City of Olympia, says 686 folks were counted in the most recent survey conducted in January.

“Over one-third were unsheltered – that means they had no emergency shelter…they could be living in cars, under bridges, abandoned buildings, out in the open…that’s a lot of people that have no roof over their head.”

Other homeless advocates featured in the video include Renata Rollins, a City of Olympia-related Downtown Ambassador, several downtown business owners, Sara Pete, senior librarian at Olympia Timberland Library, and Thurston County commissioner Karen Valenzuela.

A list of 52 downtown businesses is mentioned in the video as supporters of The People’s House.

Sara Reilly, owner of Darby’s Café, located on 5^th Avenue, says downtown businesses are used as a day center, as many buy a cup of coffee to “rent space” to sit and rest, and get warm. She says The People’s House will help take the pressure off downtown businesses.

There are many reasons why Olympia has become a hub for the homeless of Thurston County, including the fact that it is the state capitol, with Intercity Transit providing regional, multi-county access and the national Greyhound bus system, both of which brings homeless people downtown from other places.

In a telephone conversation this afternoon, Martin said nothing regarding the actual location of a low barrier shelter is set in stone, and said that The People’s House in downtown Olympia is a step in the right direction.

The People’s House welcomes private donations. Donations may be sent via mail to: Interfaith Works, PO Box 1221, Olympia, Washington 98507, noting that your donation is intended for The People's House. Donations may also be made online via PayPal at www.interfaith-works.org.

For more information or ways to get involved in The People’s House, visit their website at www.thepeopleshouseoly.org

The Thurston County 10 year Homeless Plan is at: http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/sscp/PDF/2010-Ten-Year-Homeless-Plan-Executive-Summary-20101207.pdf

Smells Like Team Spirit

by Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Above: Jiana Gates, 24, of Olympia, stopped by the Pike Place Market in Seattle earlier this weekend to say hi to Rachel the Pig. Rachel has temporarily been turned into a pigskin in anticipation of the Big Game. Go Seahawks!

Small Farm Serves the Community In Its Own Big Way

 

Above: Evan Berry of Ladyberry Produce washes carrots she just harvested from her farm's garden last Friday.

 

by Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

 

At an agritourism panel discussion a couple years ago involving six local food producers and consumers, Sara Rocker, a staff advisor to The Evergreen's State College's Flaming Eggplant Café, said that the college was producing graduates who were creating a new workforce in the area of agriculture sustainability and restaurant management.

 

One of those graduates is Evan Berry, 26, who graduated from The Evergreen State College in 2008, receiving her B.A. in Chemistry and Sustainable Agriculture.

 

She is now the farm manager of Ladyberry Produce, and leases land on the 84 year old Esterly family farm in northeast Olympia. She has created a successful business for herself on two acres of land that produces her crops.

 

“I love growing veggies...there is a need for the community farm. I love meeting people. Being here on this land, you really see that heritage - it's quite an honor keeping the local community supplied with food. It's pretty cool," said Berry.

Berry’s future ideas include welcoming Boston Harbor elementary children to her farm to learn where their food comes from. For now, she's willing to stay small.

“I'm still getting the fundamentals down and getting dialed in, but in the future, I want to be involved in the school lunch program, and other public education opportunities," Berry said.

When I first stopped by her farm in December of 2012, she showed off her 24 varieties of garlic that were just beginning to sprout their green stems out from the straw.  Her Community Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) options usually include beets, cabbage, carrots, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, chard, garlic, potatoes, and more.

Chatting with her, she said she would be interested in providing her produce to area restaurants, and learning more about how to do that.

Above: Ladyberry's kohlrabi in December.

 

A whole year later, I caught up with her again this past week, and found Berry busier than ever. She just completed servicing her winter customers though a pre-paid CSA program, and still provides a substantial amount of produce to the nearby Gull Harbor Mercantile, and folks driving by her farm stand.

Overall, she had a great year. During the summer, she harvested about 1500 pounds of garlic, her main crop, 200 pounds of tomatoes a week, as well as leeks, beets, broccoli, eggplant, beans, peppers, lettuce, peas, potatoes, salad greens, summer squash, zucchini, strawberries and more. 

Her 12 week winter CSA program with 20 customers just ended this last Wednesday. With only half an acre in production for the winter, Berry turned down 15 potential CSA customers this year.

“It was the biggest winter operation I’ve ever had ….I’m realizing it’s a niche thing – I definitely now realize people are not gardening in the fall so there’s been a lot of interest and support,” she said this week.

Her winter crops took a hit last month.

“The early freeze in mid-December took out all my cauliflower and chard, so when you emailed me this week and asked me how my cauliflower was this year, I was like, ‘AAARRGGG,’” she laughed. Despite the 11 degree weather that hit parts of the South Sound during that freeze, Berry says she still had enough produce to keep her going.

“I lost a lot of greens too, but I had Brussels sprouts and carrots – about 100 to 200 pounds of carrots.”  She’s still giving carrots away, and has discovered yet another niche customer – those who buy and use boxes of vegetables for their fresh smoothie and juice regiments. “Kale, chard, cukes, beets, carrots, greens…they’re all good!"

Eighty percent of her business income is derived from her farm stand and CSA program, and 20 percent is derived via wholesale sales to local businesses.

“The Mercantile has been great, and my carrots and beets go to the Blue Heron Bakery each week. Lisa, the owner of Nineveh, the Syrian food truck, is so supportive – she buys my eggplant, cukes, anything! She says, ‘I’ll buy it!’ when I call her. That’s been great!”

Berry says the soil is good despite the dry winter and she’s looking forward to tilling the ground in late February or early March to get it ready for spring plantings. For now, she says she’ll start seeding tomatoes, onions, peppers, eggplant, and more to germinate under lights in the barn, and then transfer them to the greenhouse.

She says she’s looking forward to the next season. “People new to my winter CSA program want to become summer CSA customers!”

Still, despite Berry’s ready smile and upbeat demeanor, she admits, when asked, how she keeps going despite weather problems and other challenges.

“Farming is a gamble in general, making a commitment to sow those seeds, keeping at it every day, to keep working….”

By all accounts, Northeast Olympia and Boston Harbor area residents are happy that she's doing a great job doing just what she's doing.

Above: Evan Berry of Ladyberry Produce shows off her bumper crop of cauliflower in December 2012.

Women In Agriculture Conference

The third annual Women In Agriculture webinar conference will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2014. The location in Olympia will be at South Puget Sound Community College.

Through a combination of in-person networking and presentations, and the viewing of webinar broadcasts, the conference brings the best of national and local speakers to easily accessible locations in Washington State.  Participants will have an opportunity to meet other local farmers and offer inspirational stories and practical advice on how to improve your management skills.

Last year, nearly 500 women at 20 locations in Washington heard a national speaker offer advice on improving farming skills, marketing, labor issues and work-life balance. Financial information and networking with each other about challenges and risks was valuable to everyone who attended.

The localized format of the conference is designed so women producers can benefit from a statewide conference while still meeting their on-farm duties at home.

For registration information, go to www.WomenInAg.wsu.edu, or contact Donna Rolen, donna.rolen@wsu.edu or Margaret Viebrock, Conference Director, WSU Extension, (509) 745-8531 or  viebrock@wsu.edu.

HB 1437 Farmland Preservation Bill Scheduled for Hearing

League of Women Voters Address Agriculture Preservation

By Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

A bill that seeks to update property tax program and help small farms across the state is scheduled for a hearing in front of the House Finance Committee on Thursday, January 30, 1:30 pm, in JLOB House hearing room A. Legislative schedules are subject to change.

The bill, technically known as E2SHB 1437, concerns small farms under the current use property tax program for farm and agricultural lands, and is scheduled last on the agenda.

Currently, for farms less than 20 acres, the one acre under a farm house is assessed at the 'highest and best use'. This subjects smaller farms to a higher tax rate and works against efforts to preserve working lands. 

Farmers say that taxing one acre of a small farm at fair market value hurts small farms, and ask that all farms in the current use program be assessed the same.

Farm land that is enrolled in the Open Space program is currently assessed based on current use rather than fair market value. This reduces pressure to convert farmland to other uses.

Thurston County Assessor Perspective

In a telephone interview held earlier today with Thurston County assessor Steven Drew, Drew said he doesn’t think the bill will get out of committee.

In response to an article published by Little Hollywood on January 22, Drew explained his position about HB1437, and his role as an assessor, saying he actively supported the bill as it passed out of the House last year.

“The thing that is often lost and not well represented is that I support the concept and the bill as written. I did a great deal of work with Senator Fraser and Representative Reykdal to engineer the bill so it would pass….”

Drew said the bill was a result of a five year dialog with interested stakeholders.

“It was not the utopian bill, but what passed out of the House had the best scope. Just prior to the Senate hearing, I was informed…that it was not going to pass out of (the Senate) committee….I intended to save the bill, not oppose it….I was trying to keep it on life support.

“The tension between small and large farms is unfortunate…I don’t think the bill will get out of the Finance committee. There’s a healthy tension between what can be done to keep the issue on the forefront….Maybe this can lead to studies and citizen initiatives, but the goal is to find a way to help a bill that would pass and address part of the problem.

“There are issues with quarter horse ranches, stables and uses – those are real sticking points. The number one reason why the Legislature amended the citizen initiative…was an abuse of the original law as passed. Believe me, I got an earful from the county assessor association for being ‘off the farm’ so to speak. Anything that challenges the purity of the state process is seen as a negative, but that’s nonsense, right?

“You could put a couple horses in a field, or grow crappy hay, or sell hay to your neighbor who buys it back just to get the tax break – that’s abuse! Some large farmers are abusing this and getting tax breaks, so the large farmer does not like idea of opening it (the legislation) up.

“There’s a factual issue, a reason why home sites are valued at one acre and the state board of tax appeals has consistently ruled in favor of that one acre parcel.  We are obligated, as assessors, to uphold state law, but prefer not to value in that way. This is why I’m interested. Everything I do is driven by statute, and that limiting factor creates a disparity. I seek a solution.”

Agriculture Preservation Forum

The League of Women Voters of Thurston County held a farmland preservation forum tonight at United Churches of Olympia. About 60 people were in attendance including City of Olympia Stephen Buxbaum, Olympia councilmember Nathaniel Jones, and Port of Olympia commissioner Sue Gunn.

Information gathered from the forum will be used to update the national League’s position on federal agriculture policy, which it hasn’t updated since 1988. R. Peggy Smith of the League introduced the speakers, saying, “New thinking is needed. The loss of farmland is one of the biggest agricultural issues in Thurston County.”

Speakers and topics included:

Lucas Patzek, Thurston County director of Washington State University Extension, gave a current and historical statistical overview and inventory of farmland in Thurston County. My Favorite Quote: “How are we going to preserve big farms within the urban growth boundary?”

Steven Drew, Thurston County Assessor, spoke on the economic aspects of farming and the Open Tax program in Thurston County. Favorite Quote: “Our policies are not keeping up with the pressures to urbanize…we need creative solutions to meet those pressures.”

Chris Wilcox, a fourth generation owner of Wilcox Farms in Roy, spoke about his family’s farm and the need to be continually innovative. My Favorite Quote: How do you change an egg? We have organic eggs, omega-added eggs, liquid eggs, and hard boiled eggs…we didn’t do this by accident.”

Loretta Seppanen, a board member of South of the Sound Community Farmland Trust, spoke about her organization’s efforts to purchase and preserve farmland. The organization assisted Kirsop Farm with the leasing of its land on a 99 year contract, and purchased land now called the Scatter Creek Farm and Conservancy. My Favorite Quote: “The Farmland Trust buys the whole farm and leases it back to farmers…who will use the land to produce food for our community….”

Lisa Smith, executive director of Enterprise for Equity, discussed her organization’s successful collaboration with regional partners to assist in the business development training of local farmers. My Favorite Quote: “You’ve heard how hard it is to be a farmer…that’s why I’m not a farmer…so when you buy that food, please eat it!” (Smith cited the 2012 National Resources Defense Council report statistic that 40% of food in America is thrown away uneaten.)

For more information about farmland preservation and HB 1437, go to www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and read “Small Farms Try Again for Tax Program Changes,” published January 22, 2014 and other stories using the search button and typing in key words.

For more information about legislative bills and schedules, go to www.leg.wa.gov. Legislative schedules are subject to change.

Above: Produce from Kirsop Farm at Acqua Via restaurant in downtown Olympia - a great example of a local "farm to fork" connection.

Small Farms Try Again For Tax Program Changes

 

Above: A close-up of the 1956 tile mural by Jean Beal in the lobby of the General Administration building on the Capitol Campus.

Farms Look To Update Property Tax Program with New Bill

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Editor’s Note: As with any legislative story, proposed legislation and information can change fast. A loose coalition of farm advocates is working to create a statewide farmland current use bill that can pass in this 60 day session. Draft legislation wording has changed dramatically this week and today. It is current as of this writing.

While sitting at the Olympia Food Co-op on the eastside early this morning, Leslie Cushman, a volunteer small farm advocate, transferred the latest version of a proposed piece of farmland preservation legislation to me via her Smartphone. Talk about hot off the press.

It was an appropriate place to meet, and several Co-op volunteers were being trained at a nearby cash register.

By correcting inequalities in the open space and agriculture laws, farmers hope to ensure the future between local food availability and farm sustainability. 

Enjoying bi-partisan, statewide support, tax relief comes to the Washington State Legislature as House Bill 1437, a bill which would amend the home site exemption in the Open Space law. 

The proposed legislation is sponsored by Representatives Chris Reykdal (D-22), Brian Blake (D-19), Kathy Haigh (D-35), Ed Orcutt (R-20), Kristine Lytton (D-40), Kevin Van De Wege (D-24), and Hans Zeiger (R-25). On the first day of this session, the bill was taken out of Rules and referred to the House Finance Committee.

The Senate companion bill is SB 5327, sponsored by Senators Karen Fraser (D-22), Steve Hobbs, (D-44), and Randi Becker (R-2). It was reintroduced and retained in its present status.

It’s a bill that has seen a lot of history.

In a new proposed substitute bill, supporters are emphasizing that farmland preservation is an important tax policy.

Currently, for farms less than 20 acres, the one acre under a farm house is assessed at the 'highest and best use'. This subjects smaller farms to a higher tax rate and works against efforts to preserve working lands. 

Farmers say that taxing one acre of a small farm at fair market value hurts small farms, and ask that all farms in the current use program be assessed the same.

The bill would abolish the "farm house acre" practice employed by assessors. Farm land that is enrolled in the Open Space program is currently assessed based on current use rather than fair market value. This reduces pressure to convert farmland to other uses.

Supporters are now calling on House Finance Chair Carlyle Reuven (D-36) and Ranking Minority Member Representative Terry Nealey (R-16), to hold a hearing on the new bill, which ended last session as E2SHB 1437.

The Open Space Act

The details of the Open Space Act, under RCW 84.34.010,  is technical. At the time of its enactment in 1970, it was probably revolutionary, but over time, it appears that it has not stayed in step with the diversity and changing nature of today’s farms.

Three categories under the Open Space Taxation Act allow for current use valuation, and are based on the size of the agricultural parcel.

Parcels 20 acres and larger must be devoted primarily to agricultural production. Parcels between five and 20 acres must generate gross income from the sale of farm products of $200 or more per acre in three of each five-year period. 

Parcels that are five acres and under must generate gross income from the sale of farm products of at least $1,500 per year in three of each five-year period.

For parcels of 20 acres and larger, the principal residence of the farm operator or owner is considered an integral part of the farm, and the land under the house is valued at its current use value.

For parcels less than 20 acres, the land that the house is situated is valued at fair market value while the remainder of the parcel is valued at current use value.

Bill Died in Senate Last Year Last April, E2SHB 1437 passed out of the House of Representatives with a vote of 92-1. 

The Senate entertained a hearing last year on the companion to the bill, but it did not get out of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Economic Development committee by cutoff.

Prime sponsor Senator Karen Fraser (D-22) spoke to her bill last year, SB 5814, saying, “It’s a tricky matter to draft a bill for small agriculture. I want to protect the tax base and don’t want to draft a bill that is a wide open loophole for hobby farms….  

“I want to help our farmers to stay in business...farmers that sell to farmer’s markets or sell food on a subscription basis….these are highly appreciated land uses in our state. These farmers provide fresh food into our local communities.”

Representatives of the Washington State Grange supported the bill, saying “This is a great step forward to keep farmers farming.”

Lone opposition last year was voiced by the Association of County Officials due to a tax shift of an undetermined amount. The assessors association estimated a nearly $700,000 loss in revenue per year, although it was unclear where this number came from since a local governmental fiscal note was not produced. Bill supporters dispute this figure.

Supporters say the bill, which would have been a pilot project for Thurston County as proposed last year, would have had a very modest fiscal impact. Why Thurston County? 

“The Thurston County Commissioners supported the legislation and testified in front of the legislative committees. The county assessor was willing to work on resolving differences.  For a program with local impacts, the support of local government officials made a big difference.  And the residents of Thurston County are involved in a local food movement, emphasizing sustainability and community,” said Cushman.

After some discussion and generally positive remarks expressed by fellow committee members, Committee chair Brian Hatfield (D-19) said he was torn on the bill, expressing concern about a possible loss of tax revenue to local governments. 

“I grew up in county government and tend to bounce things off local government. Let’s balance this thing out…maybe there’s a compromise, maybe not. I’m glad we’re starting this conversation,” said Hatfield last year.

Small Farms Speak Up

Common Ground Farm in west Olympia works in community sustainable agriculture (CSA). Some of its CSA customers who receive a weekly box of fresh vegetables and herbs from mid-May to mid-November, have been buying Common Ground’s produce for over 20 years.

A farmer for 31 years, Nancy Laich of Common Ground testified last year to the Senate committee. Laich served on the Thurston County Agricultural advisory committee, and helped Senator Fraser craft last year’s legislation. She has long worked for farmland preservation, and served on the board of the South of the Sound Community Farmland Trust.

To explain the reason for the bill, Laich explained that the land under her house on her 15 acre farm receives continual increases in the assessed value because she is close to an urbanized area.

“It’s compared with nonconforming one acre lots hooked up to city services. I cannot subdivide one acre or sell one acre or hook up to city services on my street, but I am taxed at an assessed value that's the same as these one acre lots,” said Laich in a telephone interview today.

Laich, like many farmers, uses her house as an integral part of her farm.

“Essentially, farms are small, medium and large, and we're going for the equal treatment of farms of all sizes,” she said. 

Julie Puhich, also of Common Ground Farm, has been farming for 33 years.

“Our farm provide jobs, educational opportunities, research, and acts as a business incubator. If we had not been enrolled with the Open Space Agricultural Program from the beginning, we would have long been paved over,” said Putich.

Above: Otis Bell, left, chats with Senator Karen Fraser about her small farm last year. Bell, a local farmer for eight years, leased a one acre piece of land in Northeast Olympia to grow vegetables, medicinal herbs, bees, and chickens. Testifying to the committee in support of the bill last year, Bell said some farmers cannot afford large pieces of land but make a viable living on small plots. 

New Statewide Small Farm Study

A new farm survey, “Profile of Small Farms in Washington State Agriculture,” by Washington State University (WSU) Extension, says that based on U.S. Department of Agriculture criteria, 90 percent or 35,269 of Washington’s farms are considered small.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Commission on Small Farms defines small farms as “farms with less than $250,000 gross receipts annually on which day-to-day labor and management are provided by the farmer and/or the farm family that owns the production or owns, or leases, the productive assets.”

The WSU study states that, “Classifying farms by acreage can be misleading in a state like Washington, where productivity per acre can differ vastly depending on water availability, type of crop, and the farming strategies employed.”

Indeed, many farms now include many value-added products, such as artesian cheese, bees, and mushrooms to the list of products it produces and sells.

The study goes on to say that, “If current trends hold, we will see continued erosion of commercially viable small and moderate sized farms and their associated farmland.”

Strange Bedfellows Collaborate

Small farmers enjoy a wide range of bi-partisan legislative support, and have also brought together groups that might not ordinarily work together.

Those who testified last year in support of the bill include Common Ground Farm, Thurston County Commissioner Sandra Romero, the State Grange, the Thurston County Farm Bureau, the South of the Sound Farmland Trust, the Thurston County Agricultural Advisory Board, shellfish growers, farming professors, and others. 

Signing in as supporting past legislation were the League of Women Voters, the State Conservation Commission, Calliope Farms, Lisa Smith of Enterprise for Equity, and the Washington State Realtors. 

A group of interested parties met during the legislative interim to craft a new bill to introduce this session.

Good ideas floated in previous bill versions as recently as yesterday addressed the inconsistent tax treatment between counties, and recognized the value of food production to the food bank and other charitable feeding programs. Part of the draft proposed bill would have allowed all farms to count food bank donations as commercial activities and income. For Eastern Washington farmers, it addressed imperfections of an old survey system.

Other ideas directed the State Conservation Commission and the Office of Farmland Preservation to study the trends in farming, the economic contribution of farms, and the fiscal impact of the current use program on property taxes and taxpayers. This would have included a comprehensive study of the food economy and the impact and role of the current use program.

There’s a lot that can be thrown into a bill, but when that happens, things get complicated. In many cases, simple is best. And for a short session in particular, there just isn’t time to properly educate legislators on the issues.

One of the interested parties that has helped craft the new legislation regarding current use is the Thurston County Farm Bureau. The Bureau has found itself on the other side of a few conversations with the current county commissioners.

Jim Goche is a managing partner of Friendly Grove Farm in Olympia and a board member of the Thurston County Farm Bureau. For about four years, Goche and his family has allowed Kiwanis volunteers to till a portion of their land, plant crops, harvest what comes up, and take it down to the Thurston County food bank.

Representing himself, Goche has communicated with the state Department of Revenue regarding the Open Space Act to clarify the agency's role, and the county assessors’ house site designation practices. He helped draft the current legislation.

“I believe that the Department of Revenue should check its assumptions, look more closely at the county assessors’ actions, and ask itself whether the current administration of the Open Space Act is meeting its stated goals….The Open Space Act is 44 years old this year…Some of its provisions don’t support farmland preservation and food production and several are being administered by Washington’s counties in a manner which works against the intent of the law…One area of the Act which needs immediate attention involves the distinction made between large and small farms.”

Goche says the world has changed and agriculture has evolved. “Farms are smaller and now so numerous that they represent well over half of the farms in Washington State. While these small farms may be highly productive in growing the fresh produce that farmer’s markets, food banks, and school nutrition programs rely on, the farm income for many is marginal….”

“Considering the importance of Washington agriculture and the enormous contribution that small farms make to it, the ‘house site’ issue and all of the problems that go with it should be addressed by the 2014 Legislature....I support attempts to fix for 'house site' part of the law, but believe that a better solution is to repeal the 'house site' language entirely....This will benefit farms both large and small and help keep working lands working. It will also help preserve farmland and maintain the open spaces and habitat that farms provide for the public.

“We’re losing farms at an alarming rate. Every time the state adds a regulation on one’s property, it diminishes the value and shifts the burden to the taxpayer,” said Goche.

Thurston County Farmlands at Risk

The Washington Conservation Commission’s Office of Farm Preservation published a report last year, Thurston County Farmlands at Risk.

A Thurston County farmland inventory, completed in 2009 by South of the Sound Community Farmland Trust, concludes several startling facts:

-Thurston County has lost over 90,000 acres of farmland since the 1950s;

-Seventy-five percent of the farmland is within three miles of an urban growth boundary;

-Only about 51 percent of the farmland is in the Open Space Tax program;

-The majority of farmland is not within Long Term Agriculture zoning;

-The average age of principal farm operators is 57 years old;

-The majority of the total land in farms is on rented land.

For more information about the bill and the history of Washington State legislation, go to: www.leg.wa.gov

For more information on the Profile of Small Farms in Washington State Agriculture, go to: www.cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/FS072E/FS072E.pdf

For more information about the farmland inventory, go to: http://www.communityfarmlandtrust.org

Also: The League of Women Voters of Thurston County will be holding an Agriculture Preservation forum on Thursday, January 23, 7:00 pm, United Churches of Olympia, 110 11th Ave. SE.

The forum will feature a panel with various perspectives on agriculture economics and ways to preserve local farms.

Speakers and topics include: Erik Hagen, WSU Extension, an overview of farmland in Thurston County; Steven Drew, County Assessor, economic aspects of farming in Thurston County; Chris Wilcox, owner of Wilcox Farms, a large farmer’s perspective; Lisa Smith, executive director of Enterprise for Equity, efforts to increase the number of small farms; Loretta Seppanen, citizen board member, South of the Sound Community Farmland Trust, efforts to purchase and preserve farmland.

For more information, go to: www.lwvtc.org  or call (360) 754-4305.

Above: LadyBerry Farms' Brussels sprouts are great sautéed with butter and a little bit of salt. I hated them too when I was kid, but now? Ymmm, they're good. And good for you! 

 

Making Legislative Priorities Heard in Olympia

Above: Marchers with Washington CAN! and POWER! walked to the Capitol Building, then spoke with their legislators about their concerns today.

 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

“An individual has not started living fully until they can rise above the narrow confines of individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of humanity.”

 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Marching from downtown Olympia to the Washington State Capitol building, activists with Washington CAN! (Community Action Network), and POWER! (Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights), converged today as a collective force to express their priorities to their legislators.

Today is also Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Washington CAN! is a grassroots community organization with over 44,000 dues paying members from every legislative district in the state. Emphasizing racial, social and economic justice, about 140 members of that organization came to Olympia today to meet with their legislators on four main priorities:

-Realize the promise of health reform and save Basic Health (SB 6231);

-Urge the Washington State Senate to pass the DREAM Act (HB 1817);

-Increase access to dental care for consumers (HB 2321); and

-Give workers access to paid sick days (HB 1313).

Organizing all morning at the Capitol Theater in downtown Olympia, activists were briefed on state legislation regarding Basic Health, the Dream Act, paid sick days, and dental access, then broke into small role-playing groups to rehearse brief, personal statements about their own experiences on these issues.

Mariah McKay, a lead WA-CAN! organizer, said the group at today’s effort included about 50 people from Eastern Washington, 30 from Seattle, 30 from the Greater Seattle area, 10 from Olympia, 10 from Tacoma, and 10 from rural communities throughout the state.

Shancie Wagner, a dentist from Spokane, came to Olympia to testify this afternoon to the House Health Care & Wellness Committee in support of HB 2321 to expand access to dental care. Wagner is the first private dentist in the state to express her support of dental access for all.

HB 2321 would create a new mid-level dental provider – a dental therapist – as an effective way to create much needed jobs and meet the growing demand, particularly among low-income people, communities of color and Native communities.  According to Washington-CAN!, thirty out of 39 counties in Washington face a shortage of dental care professionals. 

Wagner said she helped pass a bill in Minnesota similar to Washington’s HB 2321, and that the dental therapist model that exists in Minnesota and Alaska works well.  

“A dental therapist is like a hygienist and a dentist – the person would do extractions and fillings. I trained with the very first dental therapist in Minnesota and saw first-hand that these people are competent because they are trained in limited procedures. They were, in fact, better at it than dental students. Dentists can hire them to do the simple stuff, and then we (dentists) can do the more complicated stuff.

“We should also restore Medicaid service payments to providers...I accept Medicaid, but I can only accept a certain percentage - the reimbursement rates are so low, I lose money.” Asked how much, Wagner says she loses about $200 an hour.

“I’ve only been a dentist for two years, and I have a $5,000 a month student loan to pay.”

Asked why she became a dentist, Wagner said, “I was always terrified of the dentist, so I developed a passion of how it should be done – and I wanted to serve the community,” she smiled.

Nearby, Rayan Orbom, 21, a student of Eastern Washington University in Spokane, said she works in the dental field, and was also in Olympia in support of affordable dental care.

Several members of the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane were sporting their new League T-shirts and said they will be speaking with their 4^th Legislative District representatives about their concerns.

Jennifer Calvert, a retired teacher from Spokane, said she is concerned about restoring cost-of-living adjustments, increasing teacher’s salaries, and decreasing class sizes.

A young man, Marcelas Owens, 14, of Seattle, knocked everyone out with his on-stage, pre-march rendition of the Black National Anthem.

Later, walking up to the Capitol, Owens said he’s been working on social justice issues since he was seven years old.

“I started on health care, but now I’m mostly interested in youth involvement.”

For more information about Washington CAN!, go to www.washingtoncan.org, or 220 South River Street #11, Seattle, Washington 98108, (206) 389-0050.

To follow Washington State Legislation, go to www.leg.wa.gov or call the hotline at 1-800-562-6000.

For more about POWER!, go to www.mamapower.org, (360) 352-9716 or toll-free, 1-866-343-9716.