Proposal for taller buildings met with disapproval

Legislators and a panel of architectural experts were unimpressed Thursday with a proposal to allow five- and seven-story buildings on the narrow stretch of land between Capitol Lake and the salt water of the Budd Inlet.

“The view shed, the sense of the Capitol connecting to the sea — which is the original concept of the Capitol — is interfered with,” said Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Olympia.

Rep. Richard DeBolt, R- Chehalis, also was unreceptive to the proposal. He referred to the vacant Capitol Center Building in the area now as the “120-foot ugly building.”

The state has a significant investment in the area, including Heritage Park along the lake and the $112 million Heritage Center planned for the nearby hillside, DeBolt noted.

A collection of tall buildings separating the shore from the deliberately dramatic center, as well as the Capitol, which crowns the hill, would take away from those investments, he said.

The city is considering a request by developers to allow taller structures on the isthmus that could house businesses and residences.

An analysis of view corridors showed views actually were enhanced by the proposed building, said Jeanette Hawkins, a project manager for the developer, Triway Enterprises. One view that was affected — from the Temple of Justice on the Capitol Campus — lost a small portion of its view of Budd Inlet, she said when the company unveiled its proposal in February.

The company has said that condos included in the plan could bring more customers to downtown Olympia.

The Capitol Campus Design Advisory Committee, which is charged with preserving the majesty of the historic campus, considered a presentation on the idea Thursday from Olympia senior planner Jan Weydemeyer.

The group has no formal role in approving the request to rezone building codes but was more than willing to offer opinions, which were not favorable.

The city presentation included photos from around the lake and the bluff of the Capitol Campus, altered to add buildings at varying heights. Although Puget Sound still could be seen from the campus, some committee members groaned, saying buildings seemed like a wall interrupting the corridor connecting the domed Capitol, lake and Sound.

Architect Fred King, the chairman of the committee, noted that the city agreed years ago to keep the nearby fountain area open as a continuation of Heritage Park, but it is included in the proposed new height zone.

“I don’t think we want to allow the city to back away from that park,” he said.

Rep. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia, was more blunt.

“I think that is the most inappropriate place to put higher buildings, in terms of the view,” he said.

A public meeting on the same subject last month drew negative reactions from some in a crowd of about 130. Weydemeyer said public comment will again be accepted at a meeting of the city planning commission in June.