Veterans Day 2015

Above: Medal of Honor recipient Command Chief Master Sergeant Francis Huffman, of Littlerock, Washington, acknowledges a standing ovation during Veterans Day ceremonies today in Olympia. After the ceremony, Huffman said he received the medal for providing Air Force support actions in Vietnam in 1971 while surrounded by the enemy, an action that saved many lives.  

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Veterans Day ceremonies were held throughout the South Sound on Wednesday and the Thurston County Veterans Council held its event in the Capitol Rotunda on the state Capitol Campus. 

The Washington State American Legion Band, VFW Auxiliary Post 318, Tahoma Gold Star Wives, and other veteran organizations participated.

Thurston County Commissioner Bud Blake, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, gave the keynote speech.

In his remarks, Blake said, “….Today in the global war on terror…we continue to welcome home veterans and thank them for their service. I personally experienced this gratitude when I, along with approximately 400 other service members, came home for R&R in February 2008. We departed the airplane at Dallas, Texas, and every single person waiting at the gate to board their airplane stood on their feet and applauded their veterans as we strolled by….until the last service member passed by.  When I saw this I knew, immediately, we had learned from the mistakes of the Korea and Vietnam conflicts.

“So I am here to tell you that it does not stop there….We need to show our soldiers returning from the recent wars…that our welcome does not end at the airport terminal, with a hand shake or in a parade. This generation’s challenge is to continue with the effort to help those veterans who need assistance. We must fight on the home front by preventing suicide and homelessness. We must assist veterans in receiving additional medical care, education, and employment opportunities for themselves and their families…..” said Blake.

Above: At the Washington State Vietnam War Memorial on the Capitol Campus today, Ashar Entrekin, 17, a senior at Capital High School, plays Taps at the conclusion of the reading of the names for those killed and missing in action during the war. The event was sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Entrekin said he’s been playing his trumpet for seven years.

For more information about Thurston County Veterans Services, go to www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ssveteran/index.html.

Port of Olympia Zita-Farmer Ballot Issues

Above: During a public hearing about the budget, Port of Olympia commissioner candidate E.J. Zita addresses the Port of Olympia on Monday night. She commented on her desire to see a clearer accounting of the cost of dredging. She said that it would add clarity if the costs could be separated. The cost of operational dredging is currently combined with other environmental clean-up costs. Galligan said that those numbers are available. “If there’s a clearer way to report on that, we’d be happy to do that,” said Galligan.

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

According to the Thurston County Auditor’s Office, the latest tally has E.J. Zita ahead of Jerry Farmer in their race for Port of Olympia Port Commissioner #3. 

Zita was slightly behind on election night, but subsequent tallies put her in the lead with 124 votes on Friday with an estimated 700 ballots left to count.

On Monday, the new tally kept Zita ahead: 26,294 (50.21%) to Farmer’s 26,079 (49.79%), for a difference of 215 votes.

There are still a few ballots to be counted that have discrepancies, such as missing signatures, or those that have questionable signatures.

Little Hollywood spoke late Monday afternoon with Tillie Naputi-Pullar, Thurston County elections manager at the Thurston County Auditor’s Office. She said that as of today, there are 116 ballots that do not have signatures, and 207 that have questionable signatures.

“Each day we generate a letter so voters are being notified on a daily basis if something is wrong with their ballot,” said Naputi-Pullar. She and her staff of three have a process in which they visually examine the signatures of all voters.

“If there is a problem, we send out a letter within 24 hours to the voter. We supply a pre-paid envelope with a signature verification form and the voter can mail it back, come in and drop it off, or email it by scanning it, or fax it back to us. We do our best to help the voter so it’s expedited so we can update their status,” she said.

Little Hollywood asked Naputi-Pullar about an Olympia woman who had an issue with her ballot and said she received a knock on her door on Sunday, November 8. The visitor appeared to be a supporter of candidate Jerry Farmer, as she was wearing a Farmer campaign button.

The westside resident, interviewed by Little Hollywood on Monday, did not want to be named, but shared her story:

“A woman wearing a Farmer campaign button and carrying a clipboard knocked on the door of my apartment. On her clipboard she carried many forms and a list of registered voters, I believe. She stated that she was a volunteer and was at my home because my ballot had an issue, and it was not currently valid as a countable ballot. 

The issue, she said, was that my ballot signature did not match the outside envelope signature. She asked me if I had received an official notice of this problem. I had not. She suggested that I had not received this letter because I had voted at the last minute.

 

She handed me a form from her clipboard and told me that I should fill it out in order to amend the discrepancy in my ballot signatures. She stated that she'd like me to fill it out on the spot and give it back to her.  

I told her I would rather fill it out later and/or wait for the official notice. She checked something off on her clipboard. She then asked me: “Did you even vote for the Port?”  I responded “Yes, I did.” She questioned me further, “Who did you vote for? Did you vote for Jerry Farmer?” I told her that I did not wish to answer her questions at this time.  She thanked me for my time and left. 

To follow up on this interaction, I checked the Thurston County Elections website to ascertain the status of my ballot.  There is indeed a problem with it, and I intend to call the number provided to resolve this issue so that my vote may be counted.”

Before she had a chance to call, she said she received her letter from the Thurston County elections office just this evening, informing her of the ballot signature discrepancy.

The woman says she doesn’t think anything suspicious was going on, but was unclear about the process.

“I didn’t know they gave out that kind of information to campaigns but I guess I’m not surprised now that I know the process,” she said.

It’s called “signature chasing,” and Naputi-Pullar said that the woman who came to the door was not with the Thurston County election office, however, that type of voter information is released to campaigns regarding voters whose ballots have not yet been counted. The form she was asked to fill out on the spot and return to the woman wearing the Farmer campaign button was most likely a signature verification form.

Jan Witt of Olympia is a friend of the woman who received the knock on her door and expressed concern about the incident.

“I believe that Thurston County Elections should not accept any of the forms collected by campaign people. Given that a campaign is asking people who they voted for and requesting the signature verification forms, how do they know whether or not a campaign is turning in all of the forms they receive? Maybe they are turning in only the forms of those who say they voted for their candidate,” said Witt.

Asked how the Thurston County elections office knows that all signature verification forms are turned in by campaign volunteers, Naputi-Pullar expressed assurance in their process, which is set in statute: 

“Three days before the certification date, November 24, my staff sits down and calls those voters if we have not received a form back. If people are concerned, they can contact us.”

Contacted by Little Hollywood this evening, Farmer said that he thought Zita’s volunteers were also out signature chasing.

Asked tonight after a Port of Olympia business meeting if her campaign is signature chasing, Zita said she has several dozen volunteers signed up to do so, but the elections office has informed her that it doesn’t appear to be necessary. Zita said that although a recount will be necessary, it appears to be out of range for a hand recount, and will most likely be a machine recount.

According to the Thurston County Auditor’s Office, the following are the rules for recounts of local contests: 

A machine recount would require that the difference between two candidates be less than 2,000 votes and less than 1/2 of one percent of the total votes cast. A hand recount would require that the difference between two candidates is less than 150 votes and less than 1/4 of one percent of the total votes cast.

Although it may still be too soon to do so, port staff, audience members, and Joe Downing, Port of Olympia commissioner candidate for position #1 who won his seat against George Barner, and was also at tonight's meeting, congratulated Zita on her apparent win.

The election will be certified November 24.

For more information and number changes, go to the Thurston County Auditor’s Office at www.thurstonvotes.org.

Design Review for Second Hotel on Henderson

Above: A Hilton Garden Inn on Henderson Boulevard near I-5 and Watershed Park is currently under construction. A new Marriott owned hotel is proposed to be built on two lots adjacent to the Hilton. Both hotels would share a main access road, seen here, stemming from the roundabout on Henderson.

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The city’s Design Review Board will hold a special meeting on November 12, at 6:30 p.m., Room 207, at Olympia City Hall, 601 4th Avenue. This meeting will offer the opportunity for the public to comment on the design of a second new hotel off Henderson Boulevard.

The hotel applicant, SPS Lands, LLC of Lakewood, is Han Kim of Hotel Concepts, and is represented by architect Glenn Wells of Olympia. 

The four story, 113 unit hotel called Olympia Courtyard Hotel would be owned by Marriott and could accommodate 250 persons on a nightly basis. It will have a restaurant, but no swimming pool.

The 2.82 acre property is situated on lots 1 and 2 of a commercially zoned area near I-5 near Watershed Park and the future Olympia Woodland Trail. A Hilton Garden Inn is currently under construction nearby on what is called Lot 3 of the Henderson Commercial Park.

According to the project’s State Environmental Policy Act report, 73.8 percent of the property will be covered by impervious surface, including room for 118 parking stalls.

Moss Lake is on the site, as well as standing water. The lake was filled in due to the construction of I-5, but is still noted on maps. All trees and vegetation would be removed from the site and upland neighborhood views of I-5 and the sky could be obstructed by the hotel. 

Members of the Wildwood Neighborhood Association worked with the city and the applicant of the Hilton Garden Inn to improve its design, and will be communicating their concerns regarding the new hotel, such as visual and light pollution, traffic, and other environmental issues, as well as cumulative impacts to the area. 

The hotels will be a stark visual contrast to the tranquility of nearby Watershed Park, a protected 153 acre area which contains trails, wetlands, and the Moxlie Creek Spring Basin that served as Olympia's first water source.

In a February letter to the city, the Wildwood Neighborhood Association board says that freeway noise has increased substantially since the clearing of the property.

The project is projected to generate 980 trips per day with 64 trips anticipated for the morning peak hour and 72 trips during the evening peak hour. The neighborhood is concerned about the increase in traffic along Henderson Boulevard, which will make the intersection at Henderson and Eskridge even more difficult to navigate.

Developers hope to break ground in spring of 2016.

Comments about this project may be submitted to Cari Hornbein, Senior Planner, Community Planning and Development Department, City of Olympia, 601 4^th Avenue East, Olympia, Washington 98501 or chornbei@ci.olympia.wa.us or (360) 753-8048.

For past articles about the land use history of the Henderson Business Park area, the hotels on Henderson Boulevard and the Wildwood Neighborhood, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search engine.

City May Take Olympia Wedding Venue Operator to Court

Above: The City of Olympia is pursuing the option of taking Olympia wedding and event venue operator Bart Zier to court to obtain an injunction that would prohibit his continued, unlawful commercial use of property in downtown Olympia. Tacoma Rail clearly uses the tracks in front of the venue along Deschutes Parkway. Photo taken November 4, 2015.

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The City of Olympia is actively pursuing the option of taking Olympia wedding and event venue operator Bart Zier to court to obtain an injunction that would prohibit his unlawful commercial use of property in downtown Olympia.

In a letter written in late October, city staff informed Zier and his mother, Donna Zier, who owns the properties at 915 and 1007 Deschutes Parkway, that they had violated the terms of the temporary permit issued to them so that they could carry out several August and September weddings.

The Zier's have continued to flagrantly violate federal and state laws and city codes and zoning ordinances in the course of operating their wedding and event venue, Grande Terrace on Capitol Lake, within a residential area.

In a telephone interview this week with City of Olympia attorney Mark Barber, Barber told Little Hollywood that no new fines have been imposed as a result of the most recent violations. The city has tried to work with Bart Zier on voluntary compliance, however, that is not working, and is now exploring the option of taking him to court.

Barber described how Zier has steadfastly refused to cooperate with the city, which included the options of voluntary compliance and dispute resolution without attorneys.

“….As you know, the city was trying to work with Mr. Zier to see if he could bring himself into compliance.  After his request for a conditional use permit went to the wayside, it put the city in a difficult position,” said Barber.

The “difficult position” was potential liability, and the city issued Zier a temporary use permit to hold the summer weddings that Zier was unwilling to cancel.

In 2014, Zier and his family actively marketed the property as a wedding venue, provided tours, signed contracts, and took large sums of money from families expecting to have their weddings there in 2015. Unbeknownst to the families, Zier did not have a permit to operate.

“These are not small events. They involve large groups of people…a physical facility, parking, food preparation, sanitary concerns, and public health issues. These become much different in a commercial setting. In addition, we have a number of unpermitted construction and archaeological issues.”

“The code violations don’t seem to be subsiding or resolving. By and large, this is a residential area, and the railroad hasn’t given up its tracks. It’s like pounding a square peg in a round hole. There’s not a lot of alternatives if someone is not going to play by the rules….”

The city will most likely make its decision by December 1, said Barber. He said the city is soliciting the assistance and support of the county, tribes, and other involved entities.

“If we could work with the others, that would be the best alternative. If we can’t, we’ll go it alone to seek an enforcement mechanism,” said Barber.

As of this writing, the venue is still marketing itself with an active website and Facebook page.

Above: This smart gentleman looked for a train before crossing the tracks with his date as they arrive for a wedding at Grande Terrace. Tacoma Rail actively uses the railroad tracks along Deschutes Parkway. During weddings and events, guests routinely park along Deschutes Parkway and the parking lot at Marathon Park, which is owned by the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services. At times, hundreds of guests cross the road to reach the venue. As parking nearest the driveway becomes scarce, guests walk from various access points along the railroad to reach the venue, as these guests did this summer. 

For more information, pictures, and stories about Grande Terrace, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search engine.

Election Night 2015 in Olympia

Above: Myra Downing, Joe Downing, and Cheryl Selby meet at Pepper's Restaurant before moving the party to Charlie's Bar & Grill. Joe Downing won the Port Commissioner #1 race against George Barner, Jr. Councilmember Cheryl Selby won the mayoral seat against candidate Marco Rosaire Rossi.

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The Thurston County Auditor’s Office called it an evening with a final tally at 8:15 p.m. but some local candidates celebrated well into the wee hours on election night 2015 in downtown Olympia.

Out of 164,555 registered voters, 39,634 ballots were counted Tuesday evening, with 15,000 estimated ballots left to count. The next ballot count will be Wednesday, November 4 at 6:00 p.m.

For the Port of Olympia, District #1 race, Joe Downing won, 58.86%, over incumbent George Barner, Jr., 41.14%.

For the Port of Olympia, District #2 race, E.J. Zita, with 49.04% of the vote, did not concede, calling it too close to call against Jerry Farmer, who received 50.96% of the vote. In actual numbers, it was 16,104 for Zita, and 16,735 for Farmer, a difference of 631 votes.

In the City of Olympia mayoral race, current councilmember Cheryl Selby won with 71.06%, against Marco Rosaire Rossi, who received 28.94%.

"Every election has its own personality and story to tell....What made a difference tonight was (a campaign with) somebody who was younger and brought a whole new dimension to the discussions around the issues, and that's a good thing. I had a worthy opponent two years ago and a worthy opponent this time and it made me a better candidate and I hope will make me a better mayor. I think my message resonated with people - one of balance and serving every segment of the community and that's what I hope to bring to my decision-making, along with the council...." said Selby late Tuesday night.

Above: E.J. Zita, left, and Marco Rosaire Rossi address supporters gathered at the Fish Tale Brew Pub in downtown Olympia Tuesday night. 

Rossi gave a rousing speech addressing the social and economic issues facing Olympia. "This isn't the end...we're just getting started...we fought hard and inspired the most marginalized people of Olympia...we will keep fighting...we are not done. This is just the end of a chapter...." said Rossi.

For City of Olympia council position #2, Jessica Bateman won, 59.5%, against Judy Bardin, 40.5%.

For City of Olympia council position #3, incumbent councilmember Nathaniel Jones won with 71.12% against Rafael Ruiz, who received 28.88%, even though he withdrew from the race. His name was still printed on the ballot.

Proposition #1, which addresses the formation of an Olympia Metropolitan Parks District, passed with 56.45% of the vote, and 43.55% voting no.

For more information and number changes, go to the Thurston County Auditor’s Office at www.thurstonvotes.org.

Above: Joe Downing, Cheryl Selby, Jessica Bateman, and Jerry Farmer pose for well wishers tonight. Bateman won her councilmember seat against Judy Bardin. Farmer felt confident that he has won his port commissioner race against E.J. Zita. Zita was not ready to concede the race earlier this evening.

"I'm excited and eager to be of service to the Olympia community....I'm excited about solving our community's challenges and all the opportunities we have before us," said Bateman.

Olympia Wedding Venue Violated Temporary Use Permit

Above: For a wedding scheduled on August 1, 2015, scores of guests parked at Marathon Park and along Deschutes Parkway, walked across the road through oncoming traffic, then crossed the railroad tracks, seen here, to reach their destination at the Grande Terrace. 

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Grande Terrace on Capitol Lake, a downtown Olympia wedding and event venue, violated the conditions of a temporary use permit issued to operator Bart Zier last August, says the City of Olympia.

The city issued the permit to the properties at 915 and 1007 Deschutes Parkway SE in order to authorize five weddings scheduled for August 15, 16, 22, 29, and September 12.

According to the city’s letter which was sent to Zier yesterday, city staff inspected the property for compliance with the conditions of approval on the Friday before each event.  On each visit, staff confirmed that for each event, the same conditions of approval were violated.

The letter details several violations including the use of Burlington Northern Railroad property during the events, hours of operation and noise violations, lack of provisions for accessible parking, and a lack of written documentation of a current food handler’s permit, conformance of onsite septic requirements, and adequate restroom facilities.

The city was also provided a courtesy copy of a September notice of violation from the Thurston County Public Health Department outlining violations of Thurston County sanitary codes.

In addition, on July 30, work occurred within a known archaeological site that was not reported to the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP), tribes, and other interested parties. That matter is currently under investigation by DAHP.

“This pattern of violations…together with violations that occurred during the summer of 2014, unauthorized site improvements and construction of a concrete pad in support of a commercial use, unauthorized improvements on railroad property, disruption of the peace and welfare of surrounding residences, and threats to public health – will be given serious consideration by the City should you apply for permits in the future.

“While the City allowed events to take place in August and September out of consideration to the wedding parties and their families, this will not be the case in the future as there are no active approvals for such uses at this time. Be advised that the subject properties used for Grande Terrace are zoned for residential use and are not to be used for commercial purposes. Because you do not have a conditional use permit, any related activities such as marketing and scheduling events must cease immediately,” says the letter written by city senior planner Cari Hornbein.

Above: A staff member directed people and traffic over the railroad tracks and to the wedding site on August 1, 2015.

Prior to the permit issuance, Zier did not have a permit to operate, and continued to market the venue, give tours of the property to interested parties, sign contractual agreements, and accept thousands of dollars from unsuspecting brides and grooms and their families.

Some brides were notified by Little Hollywood in advance of their weddings and were able to get out of their agreements and receive full or partial refunds. One lucky wedding party was glad to switch their event to the Indian Summer Golf & Country Club on Yelm Highway. 

Other wedding parties weren’t so lucky, and were hustled at the last minute to Zier’s other venue, the Grand Holiday Ballroom, on 4th Avenue. 

Above: Scores of guests parked along Deschutes Parkway and nearby at Marathon Park for a wedding on August 1, 2015 at the Grande Terrace venue. As parking nearest the venue grew scarce, some guests parked, crossed over Deschutes Parkway from cars seen here at the top of this picture, and walked the length of the railroad tracks to reach the main road up to the site. 

Video by Little Hollywood also shows a driver doing a U turn on the railroad tracks and resting there for some time after being told by a staff person stationed near the road that there was no more room to park closer to the venue.

For past articles about the Grande Terrace on Capitol Lake, including pictures and stories by upset brides, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search engine.

Going…Going…Gone! The Olympia Brewery Sold to….

Above: The auction sign as seen at the “modern” brewery on Sunday.

Auction Time for “Modern” Tumwater Brewery

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

It’s a diamond in the rough and the outcome of Tumwater’s land use future is in someone’s hands.

The sprawling “modern” brewery is hard to miss from any direction and it’s now up for auction. Dull beige buildings with broken windows boarded up with plywood, the vacant eyesore is taking up vast acreage in the heart of the City of Tumwater.

Four separate parcels are for sale with three buildings on 7.2 acres with frontage on the Deschutes River, two industrial warehouses on 22.2 acres with rail service via Union Pacific and two vacant lots are zoned multi family. The buildings were built anywhere from 1930 – 1973.

Over 300 brewing tanks are located throughout the buildings. The main brew house contains the former brewing operation, fermenting vat storage and cellaring. In the six story “M” Cellar building, each floor is devoted to large stainless fermenting vessel storage with the majority of vats still in place.

Real estate agent Troy Dana has been marketing the location for years as a possible mixed-use combination of brew pub, contract brewery, winery, distillery, office, restaurant, and retail space.

The auction will be held Wednesday, October 28, 11:00 a.m., at the Red Lion Hotel, 2300 Evergreen Park Drive, Olympia.

Details are at http://www.hudsonmarshall.com/upcoming-auctions/item/brewery-commercial-washington-tumwater.html

Above: The back of the RST Cellars building on Custer Way as seen from Tumwater Falls Park last week. The fence delineates the park and the thin, one lane road down to the Old Brewhouse. The widening of this road, required to meet current standards for transportation and emergency vehicles, would result in the loss of trees along Tumwater Falls Park.

Public Comment for Draft Old Brewery Plans Due October 30

Meanwhile, the historic Old Brewhouse is not readily visible unless you’re on top of it. It too is old and vacant except for occasional trespassers and sits like a medieval castle, deteriorating on the shores of the ever changing Deschutes River. 

Visible from Tumwater Historical Park, peek-a-boo views of the six story tower can also be seen from Tumwater Falls Park. 

Owner George Heidgerken has made public his desire to fully develop this property to the maximum intensity possible. 

The Old Brewhouse would never be allowed to be built at its current location today, according to current shoreline management and environmental regulations, and yet two out of three draft planning options presented by the City of Tumwater are to explore significant mixed-use redevelopment of the area.  

A deadline for the public to comment on these scenarios is October 30.

The first scenario, a “do-nothing” approach, assumes the development would occur within the site consistent with existing zoning and development regulations. Any development that occurred would require the repair of existing structures.

The second scenario, one that the Old Brewhouse Foundation prefers, is still an impressively built out design, and includes a parking garage for 600 vehicles.

The third scenario, preferred by property owner George Heidgerken, and his development company, Falls Development LLC, is a full build out.

At an informational public meeting last week hosted by Tumwater city staff, former Olympia Mayor Bob Jacobs suggested a fourth scenario, which is not in the city’s plan: move the historic, six story Old Brewery tower, brick by brick, and rebuild it in a different location altogether.

“All three of the alternatives they're considering all seem impractical to me…Another possibility would be where the newer brewery stands now. That building could be torn down and replaced by new development with the old tower as a centerpiece and visibility from the freeway would be excellent…other possibilities exist too, of course.  A public process would produce lots of ideas for evaluation. Even the airport area or the city center area,” says Jacobs.

City of Tumwater's permit manager Chris Carlson said that in the 25 years he has been at the city, he has never heard that approach suggested. As for the end-of-the-year limitations for the state Department of Ecology grant that funded the city’s planning action, Carlson said he did not think there was time to assess such a possibility.

Above: Tumwater Falls Park, owned by the Olympia-Tumwater Foundation. This view could change dramatically if a planned action proposal by the City of Tumwater is approved.

At the time the Old Brewery was built in 1906, Model T cars were popular. Today, the creation of any access to a proposed parking garage by the Old Brewhouse would require that the narrow road, currently about 15 feet wide, be widened to 32 to 36 feet. 

In a conceptual cross-section of the proposed road leading down to the old brewhouse, a sidewalk is also shown as being a minimum of six foot wide, but the preferred width is eight feet wide, with four foot planters on the other side, said city staff.  This will require a lot of trees to be cut down.

Nancy Partlow, a Tumwater resident, also attended the city meeting, and sees problems with many aspects of the scenarios presented by the city.

“For years I've heard Tumwater city staff and elected officials say that the Old Brewhouse would never be allowed to be built at its current location today due to the environmentally sensitive nature of the site....

“The combined footprints for a parking garage, residential units, and access roads to the Old Brewhouse site constitute an excessive amount of forest destruction in Tumwater's most environmentally and historically important area.

 

“The access road to the Old Brewhouse appears to be nearly a third of a mile long.  For about two thirds of that length, the road parallels the Deschutes River and the Tumwater Falls Park fence line. Some of the trees seen above the river from inside the park aren't actually in the park itself, but on the Falls Development LLC property next door.  A great number of those would have to be cut down to widen the road.

“An additional access road down to the proposed parking garage is being suggested from the north end of a parking lot owned by the Olympia-Tumwater Foundation. This road would also be built through a forested area, and next to the Union Pacific rail line,” says Partlow.

Above: Another required access road for a proposed parking garage in the area of the Schmidt House would be located here, next to the Union Pacific railway. The parking lot drops off steeply to the railway and through the trees, the Old Brewery. 

The Olympia Tumwater Foundation has almost no comment on the Tumwater’s brewery planned action draft environmental impact statement or Heidgerken’s plans, says the Foundation’s executive director John Freedman.

The Foundation owns Tumwater Falls Park and the Schmidt House and related property. Heidgerken will need the Foundation’s cooperation to access a proposed residential area and parking garage through the Schmidt House’s back parking lot.

A heavily treed, steep ravine and the Union Pacific Railway is in that area of the property.  No conversations about access have taken place between the Foundation and Heidgerken’s company, said Freedman.

“We have not seen anything concrete that requires action on our part. We have no objections to any progress…we’d like to see it historically developed,” he said on Friday. 

As the Foundation expands its history program, Freedman has said that they would want to become involved in the proposed craft brewing and distilling center project in the area of the Old Brewhouse.

To comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Tumwater Brewery Planned Action, contact Chris Carlson, Permit Manager, City of Tumwater, 555 Israel Road SW, Tumwater, Washington 98501, ccarlson@ci.tumwater.wa.us, (360) 754-4180.

For more information about Tumwater, brewery district planning, the Old Brewery, George Heidgerken, go to www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type in key words into the search button.

Old Brewhouse Foundation Provides Solutions To Save History

Above: Structural repair and rehabilitation is needed in order to meet current building standards and prevent further deterioration and damage to Tumwater’s historic Brewhouse tower. The six story tower, as seen this week from Tumwater Falls Park, is 10,000 square feet in size with the entire facility encompassing 100,000 square feet. 

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The Old Brewhouse Foundation was formed in 2008 as a nonprofit organization to bring together groups and individuals to develop a plan for the acquisition, restoration, and public use of the Old Brewhouse area.  

Their next meeting, which is open to the public, is Saturday, October 17, 10:30 a.m., at the Tumwater Timberland Library.

In August, the Foundation briefed the Tumwater city council at a work session on the group’s efforts. Among other suggestions, the group is proposing that the public purchase the entire brewhouse facility through a 20-year bond of $100 million over 20 years funded by a property tax. 

The Brewhouse tower and surrounding buildings are still viable structures, but need new roofs, seismic retrofits, and additional improvements.  At the very minimum, weather-proofing the buildings is necessary to include adding new roofs and windows to preserve the structures.

According to the Foundation, the initial brewhouse restoration is estimated to be $5.6 million, which reflects the cost of acquisition. The likely acquisition cost is a rough estimate of $2.5 million and includes some assumptions for project management costs.

No action is possible as long as the current owner, George Heidgerken, owns the building. Very little activity has occurred since his acquisition of the property about five years ago. The building's deterioration is reaching a point of no return, says the Foundation.

It is not known if George Heidgerken or his company, Falls Development, LLC, is interested in selling the property.

Above: The Old Brewhouse Tower and related buildings are in serious disrepair. Photo taken October 18, 2014.

Little Hollywood recently asked Rob Kirkwood, president of the Old Brewhouse Foundation, for specifics on the group's suggestions and interest in the property.

Kirkwood: George Heidgerken is still the owner of the Old Brewhouse property. The Old Brewhouse Foundation is asking the county to place the creation of a special purpose district and a property tax of about $0.35/$1,000 on the ballot.  The mission of the special purpose district would be to purchase and rehab the 1906 brewery complex into museums, art galleries, public gathering spaces and meeting rooms, large and small, over a period of many years.  We will ask Heidgerken about selling the property when we have a better idea about the county commissioners willingness to place the issue on the ballot.

Little Hollywood:  Please describe the group's idea of "rehab." Due to the condition, would the tower building be deconstructed and reassembled on site or in a different spot to accommodate this vision? It seems that everything you've described is similar to Heidgerken's vision. It seems there are multiple problems with that vision because of the location. Please explain.

Kirkwood: I agree there are multiple problems - all great community projects have challenges. Public recognition of the opportunities and challenges will create a facility that the community can be proud of.  The tower has been assessed by a structural engineer as actually in pretty good shape despite what you see.  It is built of concrete and brick, both materials that weather better than the wood roofs did.  It will require some major repairs and seismic retrofitting, but disassembly won't be necessary. Our project will be of a smaller scale than what Heidgerken is proposing. 

The Planned Action EIS that Tumwater prepared proposed three different levels of activity: 1. Do nothing; 2. Development within the existing foot print; 3. Expanding the foot print.

Heidgerken's published plans are at a strong Level 3 because the additional space is needed to create the synergy of commercial activities and support the private development of utilities, access and parking expenses. 

Our plan is closer to Level 2 - we would stay within the existing foot print other than building some level of parking facilities. Using public financing allows the triple bottom line of economic, social and environmental success. The atmosphere would be more like a college campus instead of the traffic required for commercial activity.  The site does present challenges, but also some incredible opportunities. Our outreach at community events keeps finding people that are excited about museums, art studios, the brewery distillery institute and large public gathering spaces. 

According to the Foundation, and the meeting minutes of the August 25 work session, the first element of their plan would cost approximately $45 million in investment that could be converted to a countywide levy at $.30 to $.35 per $1,000 of assessed valuation costing the average homeowner of a $250,000 home approximately $75 to $87.50 annually.

During information sharing at public events, the response has been positive with most people conveying a willingness to pay the levy, says the Foundation.

Cynthia Stewart, another Foundation member, reviewed the possibility for the councilmembers of a bond issue of $100 million for inclusion of the large warehouse to be paid at six million for the next 20 years. The bond presents some challenges and includes different options as there is no available special district option that fits this specific scenario.

One of the options is a Park and Recreation Service Area (PRSA). Categories allowed by state statute are broad and include park, recreation facilities, and senior centers. Under that scenario through a countywide financing option, it would require all Thurston County cities to agree to participate and it would require a separate vote by the public. It would require a super majority, 60 percent, to pass.

A second option is under the Cultural Access Program recently passed by the Legislature. The option allows a 1/10th of one percent increase in sales tax countywide. The option wouldn’t generate as much money. The PRSA statute is broad and could entail the entire complex to include trails. The option is more indirect as it focuses on culture and population.

Stewart said the county commissioners have expressed interest in the proposal.

Above: The interior of the long building on the property that was built as a pulp mill could be used for high school reunions, weddings, and other special events, says the Foundation. The facility is 21,000 square feet and is 300 feet long and 70 feet wide.

For more stories and pictures of the Old Brewhouse, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and type key words into the search button.