April , 2002

Kathy McCormick, Senior Planner

City of Olympia Advance Planning

2404 Heritage Court SW, #B

Olympia, WA 98502

Dear Ms. McCormick:

The Olympia Heritage Commission is the City’s appointed advisory board and primary resource in matters of historic planning and preservation. We have reviewed the proposed Urban Waterfront — Housing District comprehensive plan amendment. Our assessments considered the conduct of land use, housing and redevelopment, municipal improvement, and other types of planning and programs undertaken as they relate to historic resources of the City. We recognize and support the need for housing and increased density in our downtown. We understand that the continued commercial viability and a broader spectrum of housing options are critical to preserve and maintain the historic integrity and charm of our community. We believe that historic preservation and progressive planning can be compatible and mutually beneficial endeavors.

After a careful review of the proposed amendment and ancillary support documents, we have reservations that this proposal, as presented, is the best way to achieve these goals. Our concerns hinge on three issues: (1) Design incompatibility with historic downtown properties and streetscape continuity and context, (2) Wilder and White’s Capitol Plan and its considerations of the public's view of the Capitol and setting, and (3) Archaeological deposits potential in the proposed site. Each of these issues is briefly addressed below. Comprehensive discussion, analysis and suggestions for modification are attached as a separate document.

We are concerned that the proposed six- to seven-story retail/market-rate housing complex proposed takes its design inspirations from the Capitol Center Building alone rather than the scale and design influences found in the larger downtown core. The Heritage Commission has an extensive inventory of historic structures in the commercial center that identifies design elements from a variety of historical periods and styles. The average building scale in this area is at most only three to four stories.

We are also concerned that this proposed complex is sited in such a manner that it becomes an island of development in the middle of the waterfront core and a row of towers along Water Street, effectively creating a canyon of development surrounding Percival Landing, Fountain Park and Heritage Park. This effectively isolates these new buildings from a smooth connection and contextual reference with the downtown business center. The proposed redevelopment also endangers several historically important buildings.

Our second concern is compatibility with Wilder and White’s original plan for the Capitol that strove to preserve views to and from the Capitol. The Capitol campus was designed so that the Capitol could be easily seen from anywhere in town. They envisioned an unimpeded view from the Temple of Justice to the water. The proposed zoning change would break up that expanse and view to the detriment of the capitol plan and the current Heritage Park plan. These buildings would also create a substantial view impediment for people at the street level in the proposed area, whether looking north toward the Olympic Mountains or south toward the capitol dome.

Our third concern is the protection of the City's historical and cultural heritage for present and future generations, including properties that have yielded or are likely to yield archaeological information important in pre-history or history. The City needs to be aware that the blocks under consideration may hold archaeological deposits. There are dozens of identified pre-contact cultural resource sites in and near Olympia, scattered along the shorelines of Eld Inlet, Budd Inlet, and Henderson Inlet. There is some probability that Native American artifacts may be found in the course of excavation. This area was later the site of Little Hollywood; there is a strong possibility that archaeological artifacts from that era may also be found in this location.

We know that buildings of the height proposed will require a substantial network of pilings to support the structures. We believe that this work and related excavation will damage or destroy the archaeological remains to be discovered here. The suggested proposal does not address mitigation for this issue.

A related concern we have for downtown development in general is that both this proposal and the High Density Corridors don’t connect directly with a city-wide vision for development. It is difficult to evaluate this piece of the planning puzzle when the completed picture is not available. More specifically, how does the Urban Waterfront - Housing District plan fit with other housing development goals in the downtown business core? We are not clear if this is the only planning solution or a piece of a larger development plan.

We want to see potential impacts to historic properties addressed as part of the cumulative impacts table for the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

We want the project’s height reduced to no more than four stories and the overall design to incorporate compatible design elements inspired by existing historic properties in the downtown core.

Furthermore, we want a clearly established physical and contextual connection between new development and existing structures that demonstrates how the new housing will be part of the larger community.

We have developed analysis and suggestions that link our ideas to existing comprehensive plan language, ordinances and general planning practices. Thank you for including our expertise in this process.

Sincerely,

Olympia Heritage Commission