Ithmus Be the Place

author : Janet Blanding topic : Isthmus | Triway | City of Olympia | Planning Commission

by Janet Blanding

The controversy over development on the isthmus is heating up, with battle lines being drawn and opponents facing off at public forums, in the Letters to the Editor section of the Olympian, on the internet, and with signs, stickers and pamphlets distributed around town. In one corner is the developer, Triway Enterprises, along with his allies the current City Council, the Olympian, and the “grass roots citizens group,” Oly2012. In the other corner is Friends of the Waterfront, led by former Olympia Mayor Bob Jacobs, the Washington State Capitol Campus Design Advisory Committee, the Thurston County League of Women Voters, a group of Olympia Planning Commission Alums, people who are concerned about the feasibility of constructing massive buildings in an ecologically fragile area, as well as a truly grass-roots downtown group of mostly younger residents and downtown hipsters, using the email “keepolyreal” while trying to reach consensus on an official name.

Triway Rallies Support

Tri Vo, principal of Triway Enterprises, has been busily courting supporters with invitation-only get-togethers, wining and dining select members of the public, then asking them to write to the City Council, the Olympian, and to show up and speak in support of the project at the Planning Commission Hearing. Oly2012, that mysterious “grass roots” organization which does not hold public meetings, after initially saying it took no position on the re-zone, suddenly became champions of the project. The group proposed that the City should pay to raze the unsightly Capitol Center Building (aka “the mistake by the lake”) and raise the height limits for only those parcels of land owned by Tri Vo. Oly2012 claims that this would benefit the entire community of Olympia, while cynics wonder why the taxpayers of Olympia should not only subsidize tax breaks for the wealthy prospective owners of the expensive condos, but pay to beautify the immediate neighborhood as well. Oly2012 has been flooding the email boxes of its “members,” with urgent “calls to action,” exhorting them to (déjà vu!) write to the City Council, the Olympian, and to show up and speak in support of the project at the Planning Commission Hearing.

The Olympian: Triway’s Publicist

In general, the Olympian has acted like a paid public relations representative for Triway, spinning the project favorably as a tool to end the “blight” currently afflicting downtown Olympia. In a July 15 editorial, the Planning Commission was virtually ordered to vote to increase height restrictions on the isthmus to make way for Triway’s proposed project. The editorial declares that if the community passes up this opportunity to underwrite high-end housing, “no one will invest in downtown…and the blight will continue.” In describing the urban woes which have befallen downtown Olympia, no consideration is given to the fact that downtown merchants, like everyone else, are affected by a worldwide economic recession; blame for recent business closures and the current financial woes of downtown business people is placed on the “naysayers” who resist allowing multistory buildings on the isthmus. It’s not the price of gasoline causing these hard times, folks – it’s people who don’t want to change the zoning. Another fact conveniently overlooked when discussing these urban woes besetting Olympia, is that despite all the Olympian’s moaning and groaning, several insurance companies consider Olympia to be one of the safest communities in the nation.

In a departure from its usual pro-development cheerleading, the Olympian did see fit to print an editorial written by seven former Planning Commission members from the 1980’s and 1990’s. This editorial recommended preserving “our wonderful scenic views,” by encouraging housing development elsewhere in the downtown area, 90% of which is currently zoned for buildings of the size of Triway’s proposed “Larida Passage.” Citing the vision of Capital Campus architects Wilder and White, the former commissioners encouraged the community to explore the option of removing the unsightly Capitol Center Building and “converting the isthmus to an open park – a continuation of the north Capital Campus Heritage Park.”

“Envision Downtown Olympia”

On June 19th, South Puget Environmental Education Clearinghouse (SPEECH) hosted a public forum called “Envision Downtown Olympia,” which included a panel discussion, along with public comment, mostly focusing on the proposed re-zone. Rick Hoey, Director of Water Resources for the City of Olympia Public Works, without taking a position on the re-zone, described what is anticipated in downtown Olympia as the sea levels rise and flooding becomes more of a problem [see “flood story” page ____]. He described downtown Olympia as being very vulnerable to flooding, as it is low-lying, consists of mostly fill north of 4th Avenue, and may already be subsiding. Even today, he emphasized, downtown flooding is “managed closely,” which is to say, not very well. Long-term planning of development of downtown Olympia must take into account the area’s increasing vulnerability to the effects of sea level rise. Possible impacts described by Hoey included difficulty in discharging storm waters, resulting in marine water traveling up stormpipes and discharging in the streets, followed by Budd Inlet topping its banks downtown. He commented that if the sea levels rise a few feet, as predicted, the new shoreline of Olympia will look a lot like its historic shoreline (before the landscape was altered by landfill). He also emphasized that it is essential to answer the question of whether or not areas of downtown are actually sinking; his department is currently working to obtain data on subsidence downtown.

Also on the panel was Barbara Gooding, former director of the Washington State Department of Community Development and also a former planning commissioner for the City of Olympia, who favors preserving the isthmus as a park while encouraging the development of housing elsewhere downtown. Next to speak was downtown landlord Steve Cooper, who chimed in with the voodoo economics message that is popular with proponents of Triway’s project. He asserted that this project isn’t just enriching for the developer and the rich condo owners who will enjoy tax breaks at the expense of the middle class taxpayers of Olympia – it will benefit everyone, as the money trickles down from the high rises to the people begging for spare change on the sidewalks where they may or may not be allowed to stand in the future.

Legacies

Former Olympia Mayor Bob Jacobs, a vocal critic of housing development on the isthmus, emphasized that this was a question of “location, location, location.” He said that the scenic waterfront views in the isthmus area should benefit the “general public, not private interests.” He recommends rejecting the proposed rezone until the City has completed a comprehensive waterfront plan, instead of rezoning the waterfront via a piecemeal process. Jacobs related that a Triway employee had said that “Mr. Vo will consider this his legacy project,” prompting a discussion of legacies that former Olympians had left. Jacobs mentioned efforts to save Sylvester Park and Watershed Park from development, successful efforts which have benefitted many Olympians throughout the years. He mentioned the creation of the Percival Landing Boardwalk, and the improvements to Heritage Park, which he had been involved with during his term as mayor. He also mentioned the less congenial legacy of the Capitol Center Building, (“the mistake by the lake”) a legacy which has given rise to 40 years of remarks along the lines of “what were they thinking?” Jacobs urged the audience to consider how future generations will judge us, and to resist allowing massive buildings that will destroy the sense of openness, light, and views that currently exists on the isthmus, qualities which enhance the many public events which take place on the Boardwalk and in Heritage Park.

Exclusion and Retaliation

Finally, Daniel Furrer, President of the Olympia Downtown Association (ODA) spoke, emphasizing that the ODA takes no position on the re-zone. (As a nonprofit organization, it is forbidden from overt lobbying.) However, he did make known his feelings that he and other downtown merchants were suffering from feelings of exclusion and fear of retaliation. He stated that he and other downtown business people feel that they are not “welcomed into the discussion” regarding development of the isthmus, although the huge proportion of the population that wasn’t invited to Triway’s Open House might feel the same way. He referenced a flyer that had been distributed downtown which listed “Pro-Gentrification Downtown Businesses.” (The business he works for, Archibald Sisters, was not included on the list.) Furrer insinuated that some pro-development downtown business people hesitate to voice their support for the isthmus re-zone because they “don’t want rocks thrown through their windows.” This statement elicited chuckles from several members of the audience, who found it amusing that business owners should complain of feeling excluded and fearing retaliation, when a number of city ordinances covertly supported by the ODA have been aimed at creating exactly those feelings in the less affluent people who congregate in the downtown area.

Finally, members of the public had an opportunity for comment. Comments were overwhelmingly in opposition to the rezone. Even the few who spoke in favor of housing development downtown questioned whether the isthmus was a good location. Others questioned whether it was responsible to promote growth in an area that will likely flood, requiring the taxpayers of Olympia to bail out the condo owners. Over and over again, people questioned why it was necessary to change the zoning of the isthmus to enable this project to go forward when so much land downtown was available and currently zoned for larger buildings, many in locations which offered attractive views.

“We cannot do it with three stories”

On June 24, the Planning Commission held its public hearing on the proposed amendment to change height restrictions on the isthmus. Although the clear majority that showed up for the hearing opposed the rezone, the event was structured in such a way that advocates of the amendment actually had more time to address the public and the Commission. It was announced that the doors at the Olympia Center would open at 5:30 p.m. and the hearing would begin at 6:30, but people who arrived as early as 5:35 p.m. and signed up to speak in opposition to the amendment did not have a chance to comment publicly. Most people who arrived after 5:45 p.m. were not allowed into the meeting room, although some people who waited were able to enter later. As the hearing began, with a 15 minute presentation by Triway, including a slide show touting the benefits of the project, approximately 70 people waited outside the doors, guarded carefully by a fire marshal and city officials, unable to gain admittance. Judging from the Friends of the Waterfront stickers and pins they were wearing, the clear majority of the people stuck outside were opponents of the amendment. Most of the people inside were also opposed to the rezone, but public comments, limited to three minutes, were taken alternately.

Advocates of the rezone invoked the environmental advantages of the Larida Passage project over and over again, virtually implying that obstructing the rezone was tantamount to refusing to save the planet from global warming. No mention was made of Triway’s poor record regarding “low impact” building or the ongoing soil erosion problems at the Cooper Crest subdivision, which may have to be mitigated at public expense.

A spokesperson for New Homes Trends, a market research firm, described how Larida Passage would benefit Olympia, which she claims currently lacks workforce housing downtown. Perhaps some of the capacity crowd standing in the back of the room, as well as the opponents of the project watching from the overflow room, wondered about her observational acumen when she declared that “The resounding answer to the question of whether [the project] will enhance the downtown area is yes!” Perhaps she used the same head-in-the sand research methods when she determined that Olympia was ripe for the sale of 141 condos at an average cost of $1 million.

Tri Vo himself addressed the meeting participants, saying that Larida Passage would “make our community a better place.” He cited the necessity of passing the height amendment, saying “We cannot do it with three stories,” a reference to the current height limit of 35 feet.

“Millionaires Don’t Ride the Bus”

Local heavy hitters, both for and against the amendment, spoke early in the evening; the exact mechanism which enabled prominent citizens to advance to the head of the queue before ordinary folks was not explained. Fred King, chairman of the Capitol Campus Design Advisory Committee spoke against the rezone, asking the Planning Commission to respect not only the historic plan for the isthmus area and view corridors from the Capitol Campus, but the pedestrian character of the Heritage Park area, as well. Jackie Sharar, a member of Oly2012’s Steering Committee spoke in favor of rezoning Triway’s parcels, saying that currently, “Ninety-five percent of the housing downtown is rental housing, and that speaks volumes.” It does; we can hear the her class bias, loud and clear. Peter Stroble of Oly2012 told the crowd that even if the rezone amendment failed, traffic would be worsened and views would be degraded by the construction of a three-story office building that the present zoning allows, a promise or a threat that has been repeated frequently in recent discussions about the isthmus rezone. Thad Curtz of Friends of the Waterfront refuted the claims of proponents that the project would ease traffic problems in downtown Olympia, saying that “Research shows that millionaires do not ride the bus.” He also commented that despite all the talk about the pedestrian-friendly character of high density housing, Triway’s project allows for two parking spots per condo unit.

Carlene Spitler, co-owner of the Abstractions Gallery downtown, angrily denounced concerns for preserving the views as the planners of the Capitol intended, citing the four or five downtown businesses that have closed in the last year. Downtown housing, she said, is “all rental property, all low-income, all subsidized. These people cannot spend money in our shops.”

Developers Russell Meixner and Bob Greenway, not surprisingly, spoke in favor of the project, but Sandy Desner of Deskoba, did not. Although Desner stated he supports development of downtown housing, he favors smaller projects, and warned that allowing this project which would so degrade views from the Capitol Campus, could damage “legislative relationships,” with possible adverse consequences for the city.

It wasn’t until late in the evening that younger speakers such as Tovah Rudawski, Kevin Laird and KTee Olejnik had the opportunity to express their opposition to the rezone. Rudawski, an Evergreen student who also works for Parents Organizing for Welfare and Economic Rights (POWER), urged the Commissioners to put their energy and funds toward expanding housing options for people who really need them, asking, “Within what frame of good logic does the idea of subsidized housing for wealthy folks exist? “ Laird remarked that the economic deliverance proponents of the rezone promised was unlikely to occur; as “millionaires may not spend much money locally.” Olejnik also debunked the rezone’s proponents’ many appeals to voo-doo economics; the crowd responded enthusiastically, despite the late hour, as she enjoined “Let’s not let Triway test the trickle-down theory on Oly!”

Oppressing the Wealthy

The Commission heard testimony until 10:15 p.m., exhorting the dozens of people who had stuck around hoping for an opportunity to speak to instead write down and submit their comments. One of Triway’s attorneys, Aaron Lang of Seattle, was given five minutes for concluding remarks. Like members of Oly2012, he again reminded the crowd that there would never be a park on the isthmus; if the rezone failed, he said, Triway would build an office building on the isthmus instead. Those of us with long memories remember hearing rezone advocates, in the very same room in March of 2008 predict that no developer would be inclined to build anything on the isthmus unless height limits were raised so projects would “pencil out.” Why has the scenario suddenly changed? It seems unlikely that building at lower heights on the isthmus is more profitable now, as the national economy continues to falter. Could this new project be merely, as one observer said, “blackmail”?

After enduring numerous comments about the unfortunate predominance of rental units and low-income housing (and people) in downtown Olympia, it was amusing to hear Lang complain that he was disappointed by the “classism” expressed by opponents of the rezone. Apparently, when citizens object to wealthy developers attempting to co-opt public views for the private enjoyment of the economically elite, the rich feel oppressed.

Let’s hope the Planning Commission sees it differently. After public comment is closed on June 30, the Commission will deliberate until July 21, when they will make a recommendation to the Council. Another public hearing will occur before the Council makes a decision in September. If you think building massive, view-obstructing condos for the wealthy on the ecologically and seismically fragile isthmus is a bad idea, let them know! Comments can be sent to the Planning Commission at cpdinfo@ci.olympia.wa.us and the City Council at citycouncil@ci.olympia.wa.us.

Janet Blanding opposes changing the zoning on the isthmus.