Martin Way homeless shelter, supportive housing to be topic of virtual public meeting
Olympia’s Design Review Board will discuss a project this week that would construct a five-story homeless shelter and supportive housing at 2828 Martin Way E.
At the virtual meeting, scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the board will consider major design elements of the project and whether they align with required criteria.
The project is a joint venture by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) and Interfaith Works. Interfaith Works would operate a 60-bed shelter at the location, which would replace its 42-bed shelter in the basement of First Christian Church in downtown Olympia, and LIHI would develop and manage 65 units of supportive housing.
Phase 1 of the project includes construction of the building, along with landscaping and fencing.
The city recently converted a vacant building on the property, which previously had been shared by a podiatrist’s office and a dentist’s office, into an emergency homeless shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the plan, that building would stay standing until Phase 2, when it would be removed and another building for supportive housing wouldbe built.
City staff found the design proposal meets most criteria, but brought a couple of issues to the board’s attention in its report, including that the building would be much larger than those surrounding it. Staff encourages the board, in a Design Review Checklist, to talk about how the site and building might be modified to ensure the new building “reflects the neighborhood character.”
Though this meeting doesn’t include a public comment period, members of the public can tune in via video conference. People who want to submit written comments should send them to Associate Planner Paula Smith at psmith@ci.olympia.wa.us at least two hours before the meeting starts (4:30 p.m.).
Also on the meeting’s agenda is an apartment building downtown, at Water Street and State Avenue, designed by Thomas Architecture Studio.
Project design packets and materials are available online. Residents also can register to virtually attend the meeting online.
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