Olympia committee reviews fuel station project along Black Lake Boulevard

On Wednesday, November 20, Olympia's Site Plan Review Committee held a presubmission conference for a proposed fuel station project at 1803 Black Lake Boulevard SW.  

The project site consists of two separate parcels totaling 1.57 acres, which are zoned for General Commercial use. The proposed development plans to construct the following components: 

• 4,650-square-foot convenience store 

• 2,000-square-foot quick-service restaurant with a drive-through 

• 2,859-square-foot retail space 

• Six fuel dispensers under a 3,936-square-foot canopy 

• 47 parking spaces, including four EV spaces 

• Three trash enclosures for different uses  

Planning requirements 

According to Casey Mauck, the city's assistant planner, the project is subject to the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) review due to triggers such as the proposed fuel tanks of 10,000 gallons of more, 30 or more parking stalls, and building square footage of 8,000 or more. She said a SEPA checklist would need to be submitted with the land use application.  

Mauck noted that the site is located in the Allison Springs Wellhead Protection area. She said the proposed use is a gas station, which is considered a more complex use in terms of protecting groundwater. The additional requirements include submitting a hazardous materials management or spill plan, an integrated pest management plan, and a hydrogeological report with the land use application.  

In terms of landscaping and parking, the city requires it around the perimeter as well as landscape islands of at least 144 square feet, approximately every nine parking spaces. Each landscape island must have at least one tree planted six feet from the hardscape.  

Mauck said the project correctly shows 46 vehicular parking spaces, which is the required number. Since the development has over 30 parking spaces, the project is required to show how pedestrians can move through the site.  

The project is subject to design review under the Freeway Design District and Basic Commercial Design criteria, as it is over 5,000 square feet. This will require a board-level review.  

The project team of Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc. discussed the challenge of meeting the design criteria, particularly the requirement for 50% of the building frontage to be constructed along Black Lake Boulevard.  

The proposed project's design has the convenience store and other uses oriented away from Black Lake Boulevard, prioritizing the functionality of the fuel station and operations. But Mauck said the requirement is that the entry is clearly articulated from the street. 

"The [city] code and the comprehensive plan are asking you to orient towards the street, Black Lake Boulevard. The design's intent is supposed to be walkable and where the pedestrians have direct access," Nicole Floyd, the city's principal planner, explained. She said the proposed project design is facing the exact opposite direction which would make it difficult to figure out how to design the building and meet the city's code while meeting the client's needs.  

Floyd acknowledged that such challenges are a common issue, as the city's design standards do not always align with the practical needs of the developments. She noted that there are precedents in Olympia where buildings have been designed to technically meet the code requirements, but the actual use of the space has not always matched the original vision. 

"There are lots of other examples in the city that didn't end up going as well as maybe the code intended, but it does meet the letter of the law. There are examples along Black Lake, where there are entries and spans of glass that people have just used differently. They have ended up with storage in front of those windows. But even then, at least the design intent was met, if not used," Floyd said.  

The principal planner offered that there are alternatives in the code that give some flexibility for the design.