Group opposed to West Bay Yards says it will appeal favorable City Council decision
A group opposed to a mixed-use waterfront proposal known as West Bay Yards says it’s prepared to file an appeal should Olympia City Council vote in favor of a development agreement associated with the project.
That’s according to Daniel Einstein, board president of Olympia Coalition for Ecosystems Preservation, a group that has already filed one legal challenge related to the proposal.
“We’re not saying no to development,” said Einstein, adding that he’s not been opposed to development he has seen in downtown Olympia and supports the idea of increased density because it frees up undeveloped land elsewhere for restoration.
“But we are saying no to this development because it’s completely out of scale for the area,” he said.
In 2020, West Bay Development Group LLC submitted a development agreement application to the city for West Bay Yards, a mixed-use proposal with 478 market-rate apartments to be built on the former Hardel Plywood site on West Bay in Olympia. The Hardel location burned in the mid-1990s and has remained undeveloped.
Development agreements lock in expectations for the developer and city for long-term, multi-phase projects. Troy Nichols, a spokesman for the West Bay Development Group, said this is important because the developer is prepared to spend $15 million on site improvements alone before anything is built.
“It’s not unreasonable to ask that the city not change the rules,” he said.
After the development agreement application was submitted to the city, the city later issued a “non-project” determination of non-significance under the state Environmental Policy Act, meaning an environmental impact statement would not be required. Olympia Coalition disagreed and appealed that ruling to the Olympia Hearings Examiner. The hearings examiner upheld the city’s decision.
Einstein takes issue with the term “non-project” because so much is already known about West Bay Yards: the size, the number of apartments and the commercial development associated with the project. Not only should it fall under greater environmental scrutiny now, Einstein thinks the entire West Bay corridor should be subject to it because of traffic impacts.
“Traffic is a really big concern for residents,” he said.
Now, a public hearing on the development agreement is set for Tuesday before the Olympia City Council, and on March 30, the City Council will convene again to decide whether to approve the agreement. Should they approve it, Einstein said the Olympia Coalition is set to appeal that decision to Thurston County Superior Court on March 31.
He also said his group is willing to purchase the proposed development site.
“As a sign of our commitment to West Bay, we are willing to purchase the property at fair market value,” Einstein said, adding the value should reflect the property’s assets and liabilities.
A dedicated web page
West Bay Yards has become a much talked about proposal, which may be why the city has created a dedicated web page for it, including comments from the public.
Dozens of comments have been compiled and posted online, most of which are either opposed or concerned about the development.
“The environmental impacts and the traffic impacts have huge implications for this project and future development in Olympia,” writes resident Meghan Hopkins. “They also have implications for the community that must be considered. You are elected to protect our interests, not to serve the will of developers. It is your responsibility to perform your due diligence to protect the people, who in this community care about the environmental impacts.”
Of all the comments, not many support West Bay Yards, but there is one.
“Yes, this new development will largely appeal to higher-end buyers, but it will also free up housing they will vacate on down the housing chain,” writes resident Charles Shelan. “The end result will be to beautify an unattractive part of the waterfront while increasing the amount of housing stock. I urge the city council and city planning department to hold firm on this development while keeping an eye on how it will help increase the future supply of housing.”
If the council approves the agreement, it doesn’t mean the project begins, said Leonard Bauer, deputy director of community planning and development. West Bay Development Group will still have to submit a project application, which will be subject to city review and review under the state Environmental Policy Act, he said.
