Want to learn more about the RV site at Martin Way and Carpenter Road? Public meeting set
Update: Thurston County officials announced Monday, Oct. 11 that the Oct. 14 meeting has been postponed.
A proposed site for RV dwellers, which would move some RVs from Ensign Road in Olympia to Martin Way and Carpenter Road near Lacey, is the focus of a virtual town hall next week.
Lacey City Council members are prepared to share their feelings about the proposal during the town hall on Oct. 14, according to comments made by council members on Thursday.
Council member Carolyn Cox, who serves on the Regional Housing Council, a group created to tackle issues of affordable housing in Thurston County, touched on the RV proposal Thursday night and relayed the following from Thurston County Manager Ramiro Chavez: About 20 people, mostly senior citizens, would use the site. “People who are least likely to cause trouble,” she said.
The council plans to draft a letter for the virtual town hall, review the letter at next week’s council work session, and then may have Mayor Andy Ryder attend the virtual town hall to share the letter.
Details of the RV proposal are spelled out on the Regional Housing Council website.
“In support of Providence St. Peter Hospital, the immediate short-term need for the RVs parked along Ensign Road is to move the most vulnerable individuals to a county-owned property on Martin Way and Carpenter Road,” the website information reads.
The short-term strategy calls for the following: 15-20 vehicles parked at the site near Lacey for 6-7 months, with a move-in date tentatively set for Nov. 1. The city of Olympia will provide hygiene and solid waste services, as well as access to city owned property for staff parking. A group called Olympia Mutual Aid Partners will provide 24/7 access to services to the individuals living there.
Strict criteria also will be used to select those who can live at the Martin Way and Carpenter Road site.
“The focus is to move seniors and COVID-19 vulnerable individuals,” the website information reads.
Longer term, the county and city of Olympia, through the Regional Housing Council, are working to purchase a piece of property on Franz-Anderson Road in Olympia for up to 50 RVs. Ultimately, the goal is to build permanent supportive housing in the area.
Franz-Anderson Road is a dead-end street that lies between Martin Way and I-5. It parallels Lilly Road and is connected to it by Stoll Road Southeast. Olympia Fire Department Station 4 is on Stoll Road.
The virtual town hall is set for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 14. Those who want to attend are asked to register in advance at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FzYwZJneSNGSF3sYobIxeA.
This story was originally published October 8, 2021 at 5:30 AM.
