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House throws curve ball at isthmus issue

By Brad Shannon | The Olympian • Published April 19, 2009

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Sen. Karen Fraser's maneuvers to block construction of buildings taller than 35 feet on the strip of land between Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet hit a legal snag Saturday.

The House of Representatives' speaker pro tem ruled that Fraser's amendment to House Bill 1379 was beyond the "scope and object" of the underlying bill, which dealt with moratorium rights of local governments on shoreline development.

The amendment imposed a moratorium on buildings taller than 35 feet to preserve what Fraser and six former governors see as a vista of statewide significance from the upper Capitol Campus. The buildings proposed by developer Triway Enterprises would impair that view, they say.

The Olympia City Council previously approved allowing buildings as high as 90 feet on the isthmus.

"I'm going to get a copy of the scope and object ruling, then evaluate my options. One option is to come up with a new version of the amendment that fits the ruling over there," Fraser said shortly after the House action. "It's not too late to try. ... This would be the third try. We'll find out if it is the charm or not."

The issue is dividing the 22nd District delegation's Democrats — with Fraser, a rural Thurston County resident, joined by Rep. Sam Hunt of Olympia on one side, and Rep. Brendan Williams, an Olympia Democrat, on the other.