I have no doubt that what everyone reading this wants to do is get involved in a lengthy policy process and discussion in and about Olympia. OK, just kidding, but if you do have such a desire, have I got an opportunity for you!
Every 10 years, as required by the state as part of the 1990 Growth Management Act, fast growing cities and counties have to update a thing called the Comprehensive Plan. What is it? From Olympia’s website:
“Olympia’s Comprehensive Plan describes the community's long-term vision and goals, looking twenty years into the future. It covers issues like housing, land use, transportation, parks and open spaces, utilities and public safety services, and the economy. It also reflects community values around things like public participation, climate change, and diversity and equity issues.”
Whew, that’s a lot to bite off. But it truly is important. It has definite effects on how a city or county grows, what it looks like, what we want for facilities like parks, our transportation network, urban density, and what our priorities are. Lacey, Tumwater, Olympia and Thurston County are all currently working on their plans. Here's a link to the Olympia’s website about its plan update: Olympia Comprehensive Plan process
In general people don’t want to spend time looking at things like zoning. Only us land-use geeks actually enjoy that. That’s why we have a Planning Commission, comprised of citizens who like this kind of thing. In fact, participating in my neighborhood association was how I originally got involved with city planning and politics. I was in an area (eastside, south of Fourth) that the current plan said was “ripe for redevelopment” resulting in higher zoning densities where I was living. So my own self-interest impelled me when it was time to update the plan, and our Neighborhood Association was successful in changing the plan to protect our affordable single-family housing stock. The plan changed, and then the zoning followed.
A lot of folks are upset about the scale of two proposed developments along West Bay Drive. I looked at one of them a while ago, West Bay Yards, for which the city awarded a five-year vesting. I pulled up the application from their presentation to the Council, looked at the plan, looked at the underlying zoning, and read the agreement between the City and Developer. It looks to me like the project meets the zoning – height, density, site coverage, setbacks, access, residential height bonus. The City didn’t change the zoning when it made the deal, or give the project a variance, neither of which are needed for the project. Nor have they released them from any SEPA or environmental requirements. The zoning simply allows projects of this scale in that location. FYI, here’s the status on that project: West Bay Yards
So here’s the thing: If the community doesn’t want this scale of development along the waterfront, now is the time to look at the zoning, city regulations and policy documents to see what should be done instead. Yes, it’s a lot of process that most people loath to participate in. Lots of meetings, policy language, and there is no guarantee of what the result will be. But this Comp Plan process is the prime opportunity to dig in, look around the city, and tell the Council what we want.
Something I’d like to see done has to do with building a better bicycling system. Every year, there is a budget for street repairs and overlays (repaving), and staff members have to decide which roads to work on. What I’d like to see in the Transportation section of the plan is some language that says Olympia will prioritize street overlay and repair projects that can have bike lanes over those that don’t. We made that policy back when I was on the council (30 years ago, holy moly!) but I think it’s gone now. The Transportation part of the plan already has some draft language you can find here: Transportation section
There’s an open house coming up on Wednesday, July 31 at 5:30 at the council chambers with a presentation and time to mingle and ask questions. It’s just an opening, but a good place to start if you want to get in the game. It’s definitely not too late, and as is always the case, our councilmembers need to hear from their informed, caring and knowledgeable community (that’s us).
Pat Cole—pcbiglife@gmail.com—is a former Olympia city council member. As a private citizen, he seeks to set a positive tone and lead informed discussions about local civic issues.
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Southsoundguy
Communism. End democratic control of land.
Saturday, July 27 Report this
BillSpencer
Dear Pat Cole: What affordable single family home stock? Every house here is 500k+. Your positions on zoning in our city are backwards. You are anti-housing, and anti-affordability. We need to legalize missing middle housing in areas that are a stones throw away from Downtown Olympia. When you and your landowning friends on the neighborhood association block the legalization of missing middle housing that means property owners have no freedom to do something reasonable with their private land, like building some townhomes or a small apartment building that fits in with the neighborhood. Single family zoning is exclusionary and you are advocating for excluding people from your neighborhood and city. You are advocating for wealthy, privileged landowners to work to maintain the status quo of unaffordability and exclusion. It really makes me dread the future when I see people this ignorant with enough clout to get these NIMBY op-eds published.
Monday, July 29 Report this