Olympia's Planning Commission heard a proposal on Monday, Jan. 27, to amend the Olympia Municipal Code 18.05 related to master planned villages with a focus on the Briggs Village development.
Glenn Wells, the project architect and developer Gordie Gill, are seeking changes to the code to proceed with the development application for the Briggs mixed-use district.
Briggs Village, a 137-acre mixed-use project located on Henderson Boulevard, has been developing since the late 1990s.
It was originally envisioned as a walkable urban village with a 50,000-square-foot grocery store and more than 100,000 square feet of office and retail space. The village's residential element was 810 units.
However, Wells stated that the development has faced challenges in attracting commercial tenants.
In 2014, an amendment was adopted that changed the character of Briggs from mixed-use buildings to single-story commercial buildings.
The amendment also reduced the proposed grocery store size from 50,000 square feet to more than 28,000 square feet, and decreased the office and retail space from 102,000 square feet to 64,700 square feet The residential units remain unchanged.
"However, they too ran into a problem finding a grocery tenant for this smaller space," Wells commented.
Wells added that Thrifway had initially expressed interest in locating at the Briggs site.
When the recession hit, their interest waned. In addition, brick-and-mortar retail spaces were being affected by the rise of online shopping. As a result, the mixed-use district did not develop.
According to Wells, the current market conditions have shifted, with residential units generating equal or greater returns per square foot compared to commercial space.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a work-from-home culture in Thurston County, leading to many office spaces being vacated by state agencies, resulting in an abundance of high quality but underutilized office space.
The developers are proposing amendments to provide more flexibility in response to current market conditions. Key changes include:
The developers argue that the current code requirements prioritize commercial development and no longer align with the market realities. They believe that boutique retail and office spaces, along with increased residential density, would better serve the community and support the overall viability of the village.
Brian Faller raised concerns about reducing commercial space in the development and the potential impact on the village's purpose.
"We have a lot of concerns about the continued expansion of the residential units in the reduction of the commercial side, Faller said. "We think it is defeating the entire purpose of the village in the idea of having a commercial zone, which would draw people in."
Faller requested more analysis on the zoning changes, the impacts on commercial developments and potential blockage of views from a proposed four-story building.
Meanwhile, Betty Bailey hoped a grocery store would be included in the Briggs development.
"We would like to see the development continue here, commented Bailey. "It has been in this hiatus for many years, since the Great Recession."
"It would be nice to see something move forward."
Jackson Ewing, Olympia's associate planner, reiterated that the application focuses on amending the code that guides the development of master plans, such as the Briggs Master Plan. He said any changes to the project would require a separate application and approval from the Hearing Examiner.
The Planning Commission will continue deliberating on the proposed amendments.
Ewing said a public hearing has not been scheduled, yet. However, the city staff is still gathering public comments to provide them to the planning commission and the applicant. Staff will continue accepting comments until mid-February.
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RondaLarsonKramer
I used to think urban villages were the wave of the future. I was so supportive of the concept that I wrote a master's thesis on them. But over the past 30 years, experience has shown that they're mainly just a vehicle for developers to persuade elected officials to support a housing development far from the urban core. They just don't work as intended. Building closer to the urban core, with more stories, would create true walkable neighborhoods.
Tuesday, January 28 Report this
KarenM
I was also in support of the Briggs Urban Village Plan when it was originally proposed and adopted. If it had developed as described, there would be a walkable residential area where people could get some of their daily needs taken care of nearby. Over time, the plan has been changed with reduced commercial. This isn't the first time that changes have been made to move further from the pictures we were shown. Eventually this could just become one big residential area.
I think the applicant summed it up, pointing to the reasons for so little commercial - - - -
According to Wells, the current market conditions have shifted, with residential units generating equal or greater returns per square foot compared to commercial space. --------
When this was first proposed, it sure sounded like the people developing this were dedicated to making a true urban village. Now it sounds like the plans 'need' to be changed so that investors are the priority. A disappointing outcome. I wish there was some creative way to make this into more of the original vision.
Tuesday, January 28 Report this
Dogmom
The original idea was something that was appealing to a lot of people but now that they want to change the codes to allow over 400 more residential units, whether it's residential with some commercial is still going to be a traffic nightmare for people, especially those of us that live in the area which will be most travelled. It is already taking sometimes several minutes to get onto Cleveland Ave. I don't see any discussion on how to improve the additional traffic concerns. With more than 400 additional units, it will be twice as bad as it is now. It seems the developers always end up on top and we are stuck to deal with the aftermath their developing causes.
Wednesday, January 29 Report this
Yeti1981
We need housing. Period.
Thursday, January 30 Report this
KarenM
Do we need any and all housing or certain types? I see lots of signs at apartment complexes saying they have available units. There has been a huge increase in apartment units over the past few years. There has also been a large amount of single family home construction. The housing we need is low income, subsidized, supportive, etc.
Saturday, February 1 Report this
Grapesota
I think the Proctor neighborhood in Tacoma should be an inspiration for the Briggs. The Briggs, like Proctor, is walkable from the adjacent neighborhoods and is already a burgeoning draw for families with ice cream, pizza and the Y. Proctor has developed into a highly desirable location for families (just go there on any Saturday) and at the heart of it is a Metropolitan Market that is bursting at its seams. The Briggs has an opportunity to continue on its path as a desirable family destination that is neighborhood oriented and walkable, it would be a perfect place for a Met Market.
2 days ago Report this