One size does not fit all with Missing Middle

A point that still troubles me regarding the Missing Middle proposal (MM) is the “one size fits all” approach to altering land use in the entire city of Olympia.

The Olympia Planning Department seems to be pushing us towards these major changes, and making these changes all over Olympia at the very same time. As if we were one huge mass of look-alike neighborhoods.

Developers often build large projects in phases. I suggest that this MM proposal use this model. Choose a neighborhood, declare it Phase 1, then see how it works out.

I further suggest that they choose the neighborhood with the largest number of MM supporters living there to go first – make them ambassadors for the new look. They could work with their neighbors and offer suggestions to the City Council. MM changes could be applied to additional neighborhoods over time.

It’s worth a try. It could even become a model approach that would unite residents rather than divide them, as is the current situation.