Olympia committee reviews a 5-acre development at 2400 Morse Road  

On Wednesday, Dec. 11, the Olympia Site Plan Review Committee assessed the proposed land use for a 5-acre parcel at 2400 Morse Road, which presents opportunities for new housing.  

Jon Pettit, a co-owner of the property, outlined plans for a new residential development. He described the property as "one of the very few 5-acre, type, size, parcels of property inside the city," which would provide maximum residential density.  

Pettit informed the committee that the property has both sewer and water utilities available, but there are complications around stormwater management. He noted that stormwater from neighboring areas has been diverted onto the property, creating drainage issues that must be addressed as part of the development plan. 

In addition, Pettit stated that there is a 1-foot wide strip of property along Sherwood Drive that was previously part of the Sherwood Drive right-of-way. He said this 1-foot strip of property needs to be dedicated to the city, in order to facilitate the connection from Morse Road to Sherwood Drive.  

Pettit expressed interest in preparing a preliminary plat to get the foundation set, in order to have lots available to build houses.  

Engineering review 

Senior engineering examiner Tiffani King highlighted an early stormwater scoping meeting to discuss the applicant's plans. She stated that the very first thing they would ask Pettit to do before submitting a preliminary plat application is to attend a stormwater scoping meeting, which is to be attended by the applicant's engineer.  

The purpose of the stormwater scoping meeting is to get an early understanding of the applicant's initial thoughts on handling stormwater to ensure meeting the city requirements.  

King acknowledged Pettit's concerns about the off-site stormwater being diverted onto the property. She said that addressing the issue would be a key part of the scoping meeting discussions, and the applicant would need to design the stormwater management system to account for this off-site water.  

King noted that the applicant would need to provide an updated wetland study, as there are wetlands and a FEMA flood zone on the site. 

In outlining transportation considerations for the development, King said the city would be looking at the connection of Mores Road to be built and constructed along the frontage, and connected to Sherwood Drive.

The connection will involve upgrading the road to neighborhood collector standards, which includes adding sidewalks, streetlights, planting strips and other frontage improvements along both Morse Road and Sherwood Drive. 

The engineering examiner added that a school district has a fence in the area, and the project would require coordination to ensure safe pedestrian access and avoid the area being used for student drop-off/pick-up. There may be a need for signage and traffic calming devices to address these concerns.  

King explained that the new street connection would need to be a public street. She said the city does not allow private streets unless approved by the city council. A public street would need to be built to city standards and would be city-maintained.