Port of Olympia commission is set to vote Monday on Tumwater land deal
The Port of Olympia commission on Thursday had a final discussion about a proposed option agreement for port-owned land in Tumwater before it votes whether to approve the deal on Monday.
The 75-minute conversation focused on a letter Tumwater City Council sent the port this week, asking that the port limit the size of a possible warehouse on the site, preserve trees in the area and create some recreational amenities for the community.
Although there was commission consensus about relocating some ball fields and concerns about truck traffic near Bush Middle School, most of the council’s concerns, including warehouse size, were not addressed. Port commissioners Bill McGregor and Joe Downing suggested that some of those concerns could be addressed through the Tumwater development process.
At issue is 200 acres of mostly forested land at the port’s New Market Industrial Campus, which is between Interstate 5 and Olympia Regional Airport. The proposed option agreement would allow a Southern California developer called Panattoni to explore development of the site before it committed to a long-term lease.
No specific project is associated with the option agreement, although Panattoni is known for developing large warehouses. A proposed project would be subject to approval through Tumwater’s development process.
The option agreement has been discussed several times by the commission. Commissioners McGregor and Downing have been more supportive of the deal, while Commissioner E.J. Zita has been more skeptical of it. Many in the community, and some on Tumwater City Council, feel as Zita does.
Zita again on Thursday pleaded with the commission to allow for more community discussion about the topic.
“Our public process has been incomplete,” she said. “We have not had adequate discussion. We need another work session, or better yet a public forum where we have a true public process.”
She also zeroed in on a common refrain she has heard that “if we follow the regulations, all will be fine.”
Zita called that a very low bar.
“A higher bar is doing cooperative planning with our local jurisdictions and the public,” she said.
As for preserving trees on the site, both McGregor and Downing were willing to abide by Tumwater’s tree ordinance, which calls for a certain percentage of trees to be protected and to replant a tree for each tree removed.
But Zita pointed out that the net result is that a majority of trees can still be cleared, and mature trees replaced with saplings.
Downing said he loves trees, but he’s also excited about the potential deal.
“I care a lot about trees and carbon sequestration,” he said. “I also care about economic development and the mission of the port, which is to create economic development and community amenities and jobs through intelligent investments.”
He added that the option agreement is the “biggest, potentially positive investment to come along in my tenure as a port commissioner.”
As for truck traffic, if a large warehouse is proposed for the site, Downing said he would see to it that trucks exit north on Tumwater Boulevard, rather than head south on Kimmie Street and pass near Bush Middle School.
Zita cast doubt on that working. “There’s no provision to prevent trucks from going there,” she said.
Commissioner McGregor emphasized again, as he has at several recent port meetings, that the proposed agreement is only at the option stage.
“This is an option, which will allow the developer to go out and start marketing the property,” he said. “As they lease the land, projects will be evaluated on merit. We will look at financial information, cash flow, traffic impacts as each project is put forward for evaluation.”
This story was originally published July 10, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
