The Oly2012 Newsletter – Issue #10

News Updates

The following candidates were elected during the November general election:

• City Council Position 4:  Karen Rogers
• City Council Position 5:  Stephen Buxbaum
• City Council Position 6:  Jeannine  Roe
• City Council Position 7:  Joe Hyer
• Port Commissioner #2:  Bill McGregor
• Port Commissioner #3:  Jeff Davis

The City of Olympia recently began the process of updating its 1994 Comprehensive Plan, which is the blueprint for how the City manages current and future urban growth in accordance with the State Growth Management Act.

The Oly2012 Newsletter Issue #4 – November 10, 2008

News Updates

• Hoffman Construction and Belay Architecture have been selected as the preferred developers for building the new $35 – $40 million City Hall in downtown.  A preliminary model and renderings of the new building are available for public viewing in the existing City Hall.

• The City Manager has recommended a 2009 budget to the City Council that includes cutting 22 staff positions and funding for social services and customer services.  The proposed cuts are primarily due to declining sales tax revenues.

• The City has completed the 30% design for replacement of Percival Landing’s decaying wooden boardwalk in accordance with the 2006 Percival Landing Concept Plan.  The first phase of the rebuilding project alone is expected to cost $15 million and is not fully funded yet.

The OLY 2012 Newsletter Issue #9 – September 15, 2009

News Updates

• The August primary election narrowed the candidates for local races in the upcoming November general election as follows:
  • City Council Position 4:  Karen Rogers vs. Karen Veldheer
  • City Council Position 5:  Jeff Kingsbury vs. Stephen Buxbaum
  • City Council Position 6:  Joan Machlis vs. Jeannine Dellwo Roe
  • City Council Position 7:  Joe Hyer vs. Tony Sermonti
  • Port Commissioner #3:  Jeff Davis vs. Dave Peeler

• The City has issued a request for qualifications

The OLY 2012 Newsletter Issue #8 – June 24, 2009

NEWS UPDATES

New Study Calls for More Market Rate Housing!

A new study commissioned in 2008 by a $75,000 CTED grant to review all past downtown studies and make recommendations for future downtown development was unveiled in early June.  It concluded that downtown needs more market rate housing!  In particular, it suggested that the city partner with the private sector on a mixed-use project with housing located at the corner of Fourth & Jefferson.

Council Likes Barney & Worth Development Study

The Olympian – June 1o, 2009

Barney & Worth Study Concludes 4th & Jefferson Ideal for Mixed-Use Housing
The Olympian – June 7, 2009

The Oly2012 Newsletter Issue #7 – May 4, 2009

News Updates

• Senator Karen Fraser’s multiple attempts to pass legislation that would limit building heights on the isthmus were not successful in the 2009 session.  In other isthmus news, the feasibility study conducted for the City concluded that an isthmus park “may be feasible but is not without significant challenges.”  The feasibility study estimated the cost to purchase the two City blocks (located west of Sylvester Street and between Fourth and Fifth Avenues), demolish existing structures, and construct a park would be on the order of $30 million.  Following the publication of the feasibility study, Mayor Mah proposed that voters should consider raising property taxes to pay for a $33 million package that would include purchasing and demolishing the nine-story Viewpoint Tower (one of the two blocks considered in the feasibility study), rebuilding Percival Landing, and expanding the Heritage Fountain Park.  The owners of the Viewpoint Tower have indicated that they may be willing to sell the property to the City and demolish the building for $16.5 million.

The Oly2012 Newsletter Issue #6 – March 1, 2009

News Updates

• Capitol City District:  Representatives Sam Hunt and Brendan Williams introduced House Bill 2030 to create a Capitol City District in downtown Olympia.  The bill would create a taxing district to provide a portion of the existing state sales tax to the City for use in public improvement projects since the State does not pay any property tax to the City.   The bill is currently in the House Finance Committee.

• Isthmus:  In early December, the City Council voted 5-2 to increase allowable building heights on the isthmus amidst several acts of vandalism.  At the end of December, several individuals filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to halt the city’s decision to raise building heights until a study that is assessing the feasibility of purchasing property for an expanded isthmus park is completed.  Then in late January, Senator Karen Fraser sponsored Senate Bills 5799 and 5800, which proposed to cap isthmus building heights at 35 feet and to designate the isthmus as a shoreline of statewide significance, respectively.  The two original bills have been combined into Substitute Senate Bill 5800 and are currently in the Senate Rules Committee.  Meanwhile, the owner of the nine-story Capitol Center building (ahem, Viewpoint Tower) hosted an open house to showcase recent renovations to the building.

The Oly2012 Newsletter Issue #5 – December 6, 2008

News Updates

• The Port of Olympia has issued a request for qualifications from development firms and potential end users for mixed-use development of six parcels in the East Bay District, the downtown Olympia waterfront property adjacent to State Avenue.

• The Friends of the Artesians, who have been maintaining the artesian well in the Diamond parking lot and who have been seeking a permanent downtown artesian well location for years, disbanded this month, which jeopardizes the future of our City’s public artesian well heritage.

• Someone purporting to be City Councilman Jeff Kingsbury distributed postcards ridiculing some of Kingsbury’s actions as a councilman.  Mathias Eichler, who owns Einmaleins and has been actively trying to improve downtown, joins the growing list of downtown business owners who have been vandalized in recent months.

The Oly2012 Newsletter Issue #3 – October 5, 2008

News Updates

The City Council voted 5 to 2 directing City staff to draft two ordinances related to isthmus building heights for the Council to vote on later this year.  The first ordinance will propose changing the zoning on 3.92 acres of the isthmus to Urban Waterfront Housing.  The second ordinance will propose language for binding site agreements with isthmus developers.

Call to Action

Its time to show some love for the City Council.  Obviously the Council made a courageous and well informed decision on the isthmus after a grueling public debate.  But more importantly, the Council has consistently demonstrated leadership on downtown improvements in the past year.  Recent examples include the new City Hall, the Hands On Children’s Museum, the Colpitts apartments, the parking garage evaluation,

The Oly2012 Newsletter Issue #2 – September 5, 2008

News Updates

• The City Council has finalized how it will conduct the public hearing meeting for the isthmus building height rezone.
• In a September 2nd press release, the Olympia Downtown Association “strongly recommends that the Council support the Planning Commission’s position in favor of the height amendment” for the isthmus rezone.
• The Washington State Historical Society Director issued a historical assessment of the 1911 Wilder and White capitol plan as it relates to the isthmus in a recent Olympian editoral.
• Deconstruction of the buildings on the old Safeway block began this week, in preparation for the new downtown City Hall.
• The State Supreme Court has ruled that Thurston County needs to further revise its comprehensive plan in order to comply with the Growth Management Act.
• The City Council is considering a continuation of its incentive policy to exempt certain downtown housing from property taxes for 8 years.

The Oly2012 Newsletter Issue #1 – August 20, 2008

News Updates

• The Olympia Planning Commission voted 7-3 to concur with the City staff recommendation to rezone part of the isthmus to Urban Waterfront Housing.
• Colpitts Development Company (Colpitts) submitted a land use application last week to construct a 7-story, mixed used building with 126 market rate apartments.
• The City Council revised its decision on how to conduct the public comment meeting for the isthmus building height rezone.