2 public hearings set about isthmus

By Matt Batcheldor | The Olympian • Published August 06, 2008

• Comments (0)

OLYMPIA - The Olympia City Council is poised to have two public hearings on a controversial proposal to raise building-height limits on the stretch of land between Budd Inlet and Capitol Lake. And a lottery will determine the order of people who testify at the hearings, until everyone has been heard, the council decided late Tuesday night.

The first hearing will be Sept. 16 at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, which has nearly 1,000 seats, and will last five hours because of overwhelming public interest. The center is at 512 Washington St. S.E.

The council likely will hear from fewer than 100 of those people the first night because testimony will last for 41/2 hours, with three minutes given to each speaker.

Therefore, council members suggested having a second hearing at a date to be determined, perhaps Sept. 23.

"I am willing to stay and listen for as long as people want to be heard," Councilwoman Rhenda Strub said.

The council decided against some elements of a staff proposal, notably the elements of cutting off comment after 41/2 hours hearing from opponents and proponents in alternating order. Some council members were concerned that the public doesn't fit neatly into "pro" or "con" labels.

"I'd rather go at random," Councilwoman Karen Messmer said.

Councilman Joe Hyer has said he wants those who didn't have an opportunity to speak at the hearing to be allowed to speak at a meeting the following day.

"I would like to make it possible for every person who would like to address the council," he said.

Upon entering the theater, people who want to speak will draw a numbered ticket at random and be seated in the lower section. The number determines the order of the speakers, but their number is limited to the 257 seats in the lower section. Those who don't get to speak can speak the second night.

After tickets have been given for all the lower-level seats, speakers will be assigned numbers in sequential order, allowing them to testify at the second hearing in that order.