Yesterday the Olympia City Council held a preliminary discussion of the city’s long-term plans to change the city’s infrastructure to be more environmentally friendly.
Using a $250,000 grant awarded to the city by the Washington State Department of Commerce, the city is set to hire consultants who will look into developing the Capital Mall area to be more transit-friendly and require fewer cars to reach the district, according to a report presented by city principal planner Joyce Phillips.
Phillips added that the 20-year plan would start to be implemented by 2023.
Another report during the meeting describes the Capital Mall area transforming into a gridded street network to encourage more pedestrian and transit traffic in the area to replace the present layout.
“Street connectivity is limited,” the report described the shopping district, “and existing intersections are strained.”
Housing Changes
Olympia also received $100,000 from Commerce to develop a housing plan designed to streamline the permit process.
Changes will include reducing the parking minimum in high traffic areas and reviewing the permit process to simplify requirements, permit types, and processes, among others.
“This will make it easier to build all types of housing projects,” said Phillips.
Another goal of the plan, is to “Improve equity through greater housing/job access for low-income residents, who are disproportionately people of color and working-class residents facing a shortage of workforce housing,” according to the report.
The changes are expected to be adopted by June 2023.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here