Group wants park on isthmus

By Brad Shannon | The Olympian • Published August 16, 2008

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Former Olympia planning commissioners and others who want to convert the city's isthmus into a public park launched an initiative campaign to the City Council last week.

The effort is one of several recent responses to a proposal by Triway Enterprises to rezone the isthmus to allow buildings of up to 90 feet for commercial and high-end condominium between Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet.

Jerry Reilly, a former commissioner and "temporary chairman" of a group called the Olympia Capitol Park Foundation, said the group wants the council to "undertake a feasibility analysis 'to investigate the acquisition and development of a part of the Capitol Lake-Budd Inlet isthmus as a public park.' "

"Initiatives to my knowledge have never been successfully used in the city of Olympia," Reilly said by telephone Saturday.

He said that if he is able to secure about 4,000 signatures, the City Council will have to carry out the analysis requested or put the question on the city ballot in February.

The city Planning Commission has recommended zoning changes that allow some of Triway's proposal, but not all. Hearings are scheduled in mid-September. Backers of Triway's plan say it is needed to spur economic development downtown, but Reilly's group argues that it would be better used as a park.

As outlined by Reilly, the park proposal would not touch land now used by Bayview Thriftway, the Olympia Yacht Club or Olympia Oyster House.

A copy of the initiative petition will be submitted to the Olympia city clerk Monday, according to the group.

Brad Shannon can be reached at 360-753-1688 or bshannon@theolympian.com.