From: Bob Arnold
To: citycouncil@ci.olympia.wa.us
Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 10:48 AM

There was little reference by members of the Planning Commission Monday night to the general public's opposition to the proposed rezoning for housing along the waterfront, except to say that opponents to the proposed action had not identified an alternative to the proposal. It was as though such neglect had discredited whatever else the opponents had to say.

What may be more important to report is that a member (and another agreed) that the Commission itself had been presented with no alternative.

Commission members were thoughtful and articulate in considering marginal changes to the proposal, but -- though the staff had prepared written comments -- members gave virtually no consideration to the views of the proposal's critics. One member, however, expressed regret that no clearly stated vision for the waterfront had been framed, a vision that, in my opinion, might have been effective in countering the proposed rezone.

There was no discussion at all of whether the one-thousand housing unit goal or the timeline for its achievement ought to be re-examined, despite the fact that the goal was the driving force for the proposed rezoning.

Both planning staff and members sought to act responsibly on the issue before them, but without a competing vision for Olympia's waterfront, they agreed to a recommendation whose positive consequences are problematic but whose negative consequences are more likely.

I urge the Council to reject the recommendation of the Planning Commission regarding waterfront housing and to establish through a public process a vision for the waterfront that would compete -- effectively, I hope -- with any alternatives proposed.

Bob Arnold