Hundreds seek to have their voices heard on height limits

Commission has yet to choose isthmus plan

By Matt Batcheldor | The Olympian • Published June 25, 2008

Comments (0)

OLYMPIA – About 300 people packed into The Olympia Center on Tuesday night to tell the Olympia Planning Commission what they thought of a proposal to raise building-height limits between Budd Inlet and Capitol Lake downtown.

Possible scenarios

Here are scenarios for raising building heights on the narrow strip of land between Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet and one for maintaining present height limits or turning the location into a park.

•Triway proposal: Raise building-height limits on about 5 acres from 35 feet to between 65 and 90 feet. Proposed by Triway Enterprises, the change would allow the local developer to build one five-story and one seven-story mixed-use building, containing a total of 141 high-end condominiums and parking, office and retail spaces. Triway's project covers 2.3 acres. This was the proposal that prompted the debate.

•Olympia staff proposal: The latest proposal, it would raise building-height limits on 3.92 acres, allowing Triway's project but dropping two lots north of Fourth Avenue and two lots next to the Heritage Park fountain, which the city envisions as park space. Building heights would be set at a range of 35, 65 and 90 feet and require an 8-foot building "stepback" above 35 feet on all building sides. Olympia planning staff members recommended this option.

•Olympia 2012 proposal: Raise building heights just on Triway's 2.3 acres, allowing the condo project to proceed but leaving building heights as they are on the rest of the area. Favored by the downtown activist group Olympia 2012. This proposal includes having the city acquire and demolish the Capitol Center building and put an outdoor plaza in its place. Although it's not a formal proposal before the Planning Commission, many members of Olympia 2012 are expected to pitch the idea at the public hearing.

•Keep building heights at 35 feet. This is favored by the citizens group Friends of the Waterfront and some lawmakers and architects. Some supporters of this idea would like to turn most of the isthmus into green space.
Timeline

A timeline of development proposals for the narrow strip of land between Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet:

•2002: Olympia planning staff members propose a comprehensive plan amendment that raises height limits from 35 feet to between 55 and 75 feet in a nine-block zone immediately east of the Fourth and Fifth avenue bridges and west of Columbia Street.

•2002: The Olympia City Council considers the above proposal at a meeting at the Washington Center for Performing Arts. About 600 people attend.

•2002: The City Council agrees on a compromise that would allow a 5-block housing zone between the waterfront parks and Columbia Street, but not on the isthmus.

•Jan. 29, 2008: Developer Triway Enterprises submits final application for a comprehensive plan amendment to raise building-height limits on 4.91 acres from 35 feet to between 65 and 90 feet.

•Tuesday: The Olympia Planning Commission holds a public hearing on building-height limits at the Olympia Center. Hundreds attend.

•July 21: The Planning Commission may make a final recommendation to the City Council on raising height limits.

•Sept. 16: The City Council will hold its own public hearing on the proposal to raise building-height limits.

•November or December: The council could make a final decision.

How to comment

To comment on the proposal for taller buildings in a portion of downtown Olympia, write to the city of Olympia, Community Planning and Development, P.O. Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507.

Arguments for and against raising limits were charged with emotion.

"Triway's proposed buildings would steal views from us," said Jay Andrews of Tumwater. "Those views will be only for the elite."

"There is a critical shortage of housing downtown, and growth is happening no matter what," said Jackie Barrett Sharar of Olympia.

Only about 250 speakers could stay in the room because its occupancy limit is 277, and room had to be made for the Planning Commission and staff members. The commission took turns listening to opponents and proponents of the proposal but, as expected, made no decision. Comment was cut off after about three hours, leaving dozens who hadn't spoken. Although roughly equal numbers of proponents and opponents spoke, about 140 opponents signed up to speak, compared with about 61 people who favored the project. An additional person signed up as neutral.

The hearing was prompted by a proposal by Triway Enterprises, a local developer, to raise building-height limits on about 5 acres on the narrow strip of land between Budd Inlet and Capitol Lake from 35 feet to between 65 and 90 feet. Triway says it wants to build one five-story and one seven-story mixed-use building, containing a total of 141 high-end condominiums and parking, office and retail spaces.

Triway's project would cover 2.3 acres; the remainder belongs to other property owners who haven't said what they want to build. The city has one parcel in the rezone proposal that it wants to add to Heritage Park and another that it wants to purchase and add to the park. It is unclear when those things will happen.

Two organized groups represented many of the speakers: Olympia 2012, which favors the proposal, and Friends of the Waterfront, which does not.

Proponents said the buildings would bring much-needed housing and economic development to downtown, and meet the city's comprehensive-plan goals to concentrate growth in its urban core. Opponents said the buildings would block views of the state Capitol dome and Budd Inlet, and cater to the wealthy.

Next page >>