A boardwalk over the bay? City weighs options for West Bay Park

It has been more than a decade since the city of Olympia bought 17 acres on the west side of West Bay. Now, the city is floating ideas for what to do with the waterfront property.

So far 4 acres across from Brawne Avenue Northwest have been developed into West Bay Park, while a 13-acre strip from the park south to the Fifth Avenue Bridge remains undeveloped.

About a dozen people turned out for a meeting Wednesday evening where park designers presented different options for a trail running the length of the property — either on a boardwalk, along the shore, on West Bay Drive or a combination — and other features that could include an outdoor classroom, volleyball courts and open fields.

In some designs, an existing berm in the water is removed or partially removed to create small islands. Removing the berm would improve water quality and wildlife habitat, city officials say.

Jim Brennan of j.a. brennan, a Seattle-based firm working on the project, talked about balancing shoreline restoration with recreation opportunities.

“When I look out at this bay, I want to see something beautiful. You’re going to see it across the bay at Percival Landing, you’re going to see it from the Capitol,” he said.

In all the options presented, the trail would connect West Bay Park to Capitol Lake and downtown. Those at the meeting said they preferred the boardwalk option.

“I think it provides a needed connection from the west side to downtown in a low stress environment for cyclists,” said Rebecca Brown, a member of Olympia’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. “It would be a unique opportunity to bike over the water, to bike over Budd Bay.”

Brown questioned what would happen to people who are camping in the undeveloped area now. Would the changes push them out, or would the campers keep people from coming to the new park?

“It will take a lot of consideration to make sure the park has good use,” said David Coppley, also a member of the advisory committee, who questioned safety along the trail, particularly under the bridges on Fourth and Fifth avenues.

He suggested the design could make a big difference. For instance, putting the trail on a boardwalk over the water, rather than along the shoreline at the bottom of the hill, would increase visibility for users.

Nearly 800 people took an online survey from the city in November that asked what they wanted to see in a new West Bay park. Beaches, restrooms and waterfront seating all ranked high among survey participants. (A new survey on the project will be on the city’s website now through Feb. 1.)

“It’s really more about enjoying nature and the views and the wildlife — that’s what we’ve been hearing so far,” said Laura Keehan, parks planning and design manager for the city.

There was no discussion Wednesday about how much each option would cost or how the city would pay for the improvements. Any development would have to address environmental contamination caused by a former wood products industrial site on the land.

The city will conduct another meeting April 4 once it has narrowed down the options and refined its design.

A master plan for the park is scheduled to be done by the end of the year.

This story was originally published January 18, 2018 at 4:38 PM with the headline "A boardwalk over the bay? City weighs options for West Bay Park."