Downtown Olympia Development, Views Survey Available

Downtown Olympia Development, Views Survey Available

zoning  

Above: This view of Mt. Rainier across downtown Olympia from the Fourth Avenue Bridge becomes obscured by the nine-story Capital Center Building as one travels into downtown. A new survey by the City of Olympia asks questions regarding downtown development, pedestrian improvements, types of preferred bicycle lanes, viewsheds, and more.

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The City of Olympia is encouraging everyone in Thurston County to take a survey to help shape downtown Olympia.  As noted in a recent Little Hollywood story on March 14, part of the survey includes weighing in on downtown views to area landmarks.

The survey, part of the city’s ongoing Downtown Strategy planning efforts, is online at www.olympiawa.gov/DTSthrough March 27. The city says it takes about 15-20 minutes to complete.

City of Olympia city planner Amy Buckler says the city has heard “loud and clear” from a previous survey that the city must address parking, sea level rise and homelessness issues. 

Based on this survey and other plans, the city’s next steps in the Downtown Strategy will focus on design, view protection, historic preservation, business and development standards and incentives, and more specific strategies related to housing, retail and economic development.

It took Little Hollywood about 35 minutes to read through the survey questions, much less answer them. 

When asked about the nature of the questions, and their tendency toward the need for significant zoning and code changes, Buckler responded that the survey reflects what the city has heard in the public process so far, and include the input of their consultant’s recommendations.

“It is likely the city will update some development standards, and perhaps zoning, if needed, to align with the guiding framework of the Downtown Strategy. We are waiting for a guiding framework to be vetted through the…process of public engagement and analysis and discussion with city council on May 10 before scoping what updates might be needed. The guiding framework will drive any needed updates….”

Questions about viewsheds are included about mid-way through the survey, after questions about development scenarios, shared streets for pedestrian and intersection improvements, festival streets, types of bicycle lanes, and more.

Some questions are hard to argue with:

1. In the waterfront area, improve upon existing attractions to create a vibrant, attractive, family-friendly destination, with emphasis on the surrounding natural environment and many landmark views. Maintain vibrant and visible gathering places for public activity and events; increase waterfront recreation opportunities; and create inviting pedestrian connections to the historic shopping district, marinas, Farmers Market, Hands on Children’s Museum, LOTT Wet Center, and Capitol Campus.

On a scale of 1-5, with (1) being very important and (5) being not important, how important is this overall concept to you?

This question specifically involves the Northeast area neighborhood:

3. In the "Artisans/Tech" area, improve upon Port and LOTT activities and existing warehouses to create a mixed-use, artisan, culinary arts, and tech hub that includes affordable commercial space, housing (especially for artists), studio/workshop, gallery, live/work, and retail space. Encourage the reuse of industrial buildings and diverse, eclectic, energy- and water-efficient architecture. Ensure that visitors of all ages feel safe and comfortable arriving by bus, foot, bike, or car to participate in exciting education and recreation opportunities. Spur mixed-income residential development to support car-free lifestyles near the Transit Center. A more active atmosphere, redevelopment of blighted or underused sites, good design and continued clean and safe efforts by the City and other partners generate a feeling of safety in this area.

On a scale of 1-5, with (1) being very important and (5) being not important, how important is this overall concept to you?

Regarding the future of the Southeast area neighborhood, this question provides the only “not sure/don’t care” option in the questionnaire, among other options:

13. This area has significant potential for growth as a residential neighborhood. We have heard a range of preferences for the style of residential development in this area, sometimes a preference for tall residential buildings and other times for smaller scale residential development like townhouses, small lot homes, and low-rise multifamily buildings.  Assuming the same number of units are added in both scenarios described, check the circle that best represents your preference.

Above: Now it's gone - the view of Mt. Rainier becomes obscured by the nine story Capital Center Building as one travels into downtown Olympia.

Survey Questions about Views

The viewsheds for potential analysis have changed since the city’s March 3 Land Use and Environment meeting and now includes a new viewshed: City Hall to the Capitol Dome. The photo used to illustrate this view is from the sidewalk outside city hall on Cherry Street.

Two potential viewsheds were removed from the list: Marathon Park to Mt. Rainier, because it does not exist, and the effect of the 1063 Building, currently under construction, on the view of the Capitol Dome from downtown.

The survey uses computer generated illustrations of two viewsheds under consideration. City staff is in need of a photo from the navigation channel into Olympia on Budd Inlet, and a photo of downtown Olympia from the beach area of Priest Point Park. 

City staff provided Little Hollywood a map that indicates that the desired viewshed from the navigation channel is from the coordinates of 47 03.960 N and 122 54.509 W, which is roughly the center of the channel across from Swantown Marina.

Buckler confirmed that a photo of the viewshed from the East Bay pocket park to the Capitol Building featured in Little Hollywood’s March 14 article is one of ten proposed viewsheds slated for analysis. 

That view runs through Port of Olympia parcels 2 and 3 which are slated for development by local developer Walker John. Concept plans by architect Ron Thomas are not yet available to the public, Thomas said in an interview with Little Hollywood last month. If those parcels are developed as proposed, the public’s view of the Capitol Building from the park would be obscured.

If there are additional important viewsheds related to downtown that you think the city may have missed or if you have photos of your favorite views related to downtown that you want to share with the city, send them to dts@ci.olympia.wa.us.

Submitted photos will become part of the public record and may be used for public engagement purposes, so the city asks that you indicate who should receive credit for the photo. Views must be from public observation points within downtown or looking through downtown to landmark views, such as Mt. Rainer, the Black Hills, Puget Sound, Olympic Mountains, Capitol Dome, says the city.

For more information, contact Amy Buckler, Senior Planner, City of Olympia, at (360) 570-5847 or abuckler@ci.olympia.wa.us.

Downtown Olympia Views Studied by City

Downtown Olympia Views Studied by City

washington  

Above: On one of their frequent walks to the popular Madison Scenic Park, Eastside neighborhood residents Michael McFarlan and Ginger appreciate the view of the Capitol Building, downtown and the territorial Black Hills on Monday morning. This view is one of several priority viewsheds to be analyzed by the City of Olympia as part of a downtown strategy planning effort. 

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Located at the southernmost tip of Puget Sound, Olympia, Washington has long been described as having the most spectacular views of any state capitol.

From downtown Olympia looking north, one sees Budd Inlet and the Olympic Mountains. To the south, the state Capitol Dome, the fifth-tallest masonry dome in the world and the tallest in North America, rising 287 feet high. To the east, Mt. Rainier. Looking west, the territorial Black Hills.

On March 3, City of Olympia staff briefed councilmembers serving on the city’s Land Use and Environment Committee on the next steps for analyzing several viewsheds within downtown. 

A viewshed is the line of sight between an observation point and a view. The purpose of the city's analysis is to protect or enhance existing views, not to create new viewsheds. 

The recently updated Comprehensive Plan shifted an emphasis from protecting certain views from public streets to protecting and enhancing views from public gathering places. The city says that the observation points to be analyzed must be in public spaces either in downtown or look through downtown to a landmark view. 

An upcoming online city survey will offer the community an opportunity to comment on the viewsheds proposed for analysis. 

The Downtown Strategy’s process builds on past planning efforts during the Comprehensive Plan and Shoreline Master Plan updates. At a November 2015 workshop, participants prioritized certain viewsheds with observation points within downtown that were most important: the Olympic Mountains, the Capitol Dome, Budd Inlet, and Capitol Lake.

With the input of community members and city staff, consultants will analyze up to ten community-valued viewsheds. The analysis will also consider zoning and potential building height increases. Using 3D graphics, modeling will show each view as it exists now, if redeveloped under current zoning, and under any zoning options being explored.

The viewshed analysis will be presented at a June Downtown Strategy workshop and viewshed protection recommendations will be offered to the city council by August.

Above: The viewshed of downtown and the Capitol Building from a pocket park on East Bay Drive as seen on Monday afternoon. If the Port of Olympia parcels are developed as proposed near Chestnut and Olympia Avenue NE, the view of the Capitol Building would likely be obstructed. 

It is unclear from city documents which East Bay viewshed the city is considering analyzing: there is another pocket park further north on East Bay Drive, created in 2004 through a community partnership with the East Bay Drive Neighborhood Association, the Port of Olympia, and the City of Olympia.

Viewshed Priorities

The city has already identified five priority viewsheds for analysis: the Capitol Campus to Budd Inlet with a view across the isthmus, the effect of the 1063 Building on the view of the Capitol Dome, Madison Scenic Park to the Capitol Dome and the Black Hills, the Puget Sound navigation channel view to the Capitol Dome, and the West Bay Park view to Mt. Rainier through downtown.

Five viewsheds under consideration for analysis include Capitol Way and Union Avenue to the Olympic Mountains, Marathon Park to Mt. Rainier, Park of the Seven Oars (near the Harrison Avenue NW and Olympic Way NW roundabout) to Mt. Rainier, Priest Point Park to the Capitol Dome, and the East Bay Waterfront Park to the Capitol Dome.

Above: The 1063 Building is currently under construction on Capitol Way. During the design process, the city made its concerns known to the state about the five story, 215,000 square foot office building. When completed, the building will block the view of the Capitol Building from downtown. Conversely, views of Budd Inlet and the Olympics, as seen here from the Capitol Campus, will soon be obscured. The city does not have zoning authority over the Capitol Campus. Photo taken February 25, 2016.

Several community members attended the March 3 Land Use and Environment committee meeting, commented on the limited scope of the viewshed analysis, and urged the inclusion of other views. 

Krag Unsoeld commented that Mt. Rainier cannot be seen from Marathon Park on Deschutes Parkway, so that particular viewshed should not be listed, and instead be replaced with another viewshed.

Former City of Olympia mayor Bob Jacobs also commented, saying that view protection should involve the whole city, not just downtown.

“The first step in this kind of process should be a community conversation to define what is important to community members about views,” said Jacobs. 

Jacobs is active with Friends of the Waterfront, a local group that has advocated for view protections for several years. That group offered city staff a specific list of comments, questions, and suggested views.

“….We also note the need for clarification of some terms. For instance, what exactly is meant by ‘Capitol Dome’? Just the dome? Or does this include the columns beneath the dome? Does it include the Temple of Justice and other buildings? Wilder and White designed the ‘Capitol Group’ to appear as a single structure when viewed from the north. Also, what exactly is the ‘Navigation Channel’ and where is it? Clear definitions will be necessary to the development of clear regulations….” asks Friends of the Waterfront in their letter.

In response to the city’s call for suggested viewsheds for analysis in addition to those already published, the group offered: Capitol Campus to Mt. Rainier, Port Plaza to Capitol Dome, Percival Landing to Capitol Dome, a larger stretch of East Bay Drive to the Capitol Dome (not just the mini-park), Rt. 101 at the Red Lion hotel to Mt. Rainier, Harrison Avenue roundabout to Mt. Rainier (broader than Seven Oars Park), lower roundabout to Mt. Rainier, Deschutes Parkway to Mt. Rainier, Lakeridge Drive to Capitol Dome and Capitol Lake, San Francisco Street to East Bay Drive and Capitol Dome, Eastern Washington Butte at Heritage Park to Mt. Rainier, Port Plaza viewing tower to Mt. Rainier, views of East Bay and West Bay ridgelines, and the Thurston County Courthouse to the Capitol Dome.

Editor's Note/Full Disclosure: Janine Gates also commented at the March 3 meeting. Providing personal pictures as examples, she said the viewshed of landmarks should be expanded to include the experience of coming into downtown and take into consideration the special viewpoints of children and animals who see the city from different perspectives. She also asked that the city conduct a nighttime viewshed analysis to determine the impact of light pollution. Light pollution from the 123 4th Avenue Building and the nine story Capitol Center Building, if it is ever redeveloped, she said, would mar the nighttime beauty of landmarks such as the Capitol Building. With regard to sea-level rise issues, she also suggested an underwater view analysis of downtown.

For more information about the viewshed analysis, go to www.olympiawa.gov or contact Amy Buckler, Senior Planner, City of Olympia, at (360) 570-5847. The city welcomes descriptions and photo(s) of your favorite view(s) which can be emailed to Buckler at DTS@ci.olympia.wa.us.

Above: An unencumbered view of Mt. Rainier from downtown Olympia is one of the most spectacular, cherished sights enjoyed by community members. Photo taken from a West Bay Drive office building parking lot in May 2012.

High Tide in Downtown Olympia

High Tide in Downtown Olympia

weather  

Above: Areas of downtown Olympia experienced minor flooding due to a high tide in Budd Inlet and low atmospheric pressure early Thursday morning. Favorable weather conditions created a tide lower than expected, but still put some infrastructure under corrosive sea water. This view looking southwest was taken about 6:58 a.m. from Percival Landing behind the Oyster House restaurant near Sylvester Street. 

High Tide a Dry Run for Sea Level Rise

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Starting at about 5:00 a.m., City of Olympia's Rich Hoey, director of public works, and Andy Haub, director of water resources, and staff were busy monitoring a potential 18 foot tide in Budd Inlet and flooding in downtown Olympia early Thursday morning.

Luckily, favorable weather conditions created a tide lower than expected, and flooding was relatively minor.

“It’s helpful that it’s not raining. It’s great for the crews to see how this works so they can get ready for the real thing...imagine six more inches on top of this....” said Haub, near the Oyster House restaurant on Sylvester Street at 6:46 a.m. 

Haub said the tide peaked at about 17.4 feet and the city had 17 people, a mix of stormwater operations and transportation staff, assisting in the field. 

Staff monitored the areas of 4th, 5th, and State Avenues between Columbia Street and the 4th Avenue bridge, Columbia Street between B and Corky Avenues by Budd Bay Cafe, and Thurston Avenue between Jefferson and Franklin Streets. 

There was no flooding on Water Street or at Capitol Lake as staff monitored the city’s stormwater shut off valve and pump located near the Waterstreet Café. 

Haub gets excited about atmospheric pressure dynamics and says he's going to look into putting a tide gauge near “The Kiss” statue on Percival Landing with an educational sign that explains how it all works.

“Tomorrow and future days look fine - barometric pressure is back up and tides are on the downward cycle,” said Haub on Thursday afternoon.

The Port of Olympia reported that it did not experience any backups or flooding. 

“Staff drove around and checked early this morning and have been on the property during the day,” said Port of Olympia communications and public affairs manager Kathleen White.

Two staff members of the LOTT Clean Water Alliance were seen out on bicycles checking for potential issues around or near the treatment plant and the Water Street pump station.  

“We did have some minimal overflow in the street in front of our building this morning, but nothing major. We have seen flooding there before….We haven’t had any problems with the treatment plant itself flooding as a result of these high tides. High tides combined with major storm events (do) put pressure on the outfall, causing our pumps to work harder than normal,” said LOTT community relations and environmental policy director Kara Fowler.

Downtown Flooding - a Dry Run for Sea Level Rise

There are 112 known outfalls to Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet within the city limits. An outfall is the place where a river, drain, or sewer empties into the sea, a river, or a lake.

Of those piped outfalls, 36 are susceptible to backflow flooding. Twenty are city owned, nine around Capitol Lake are owned by Washington State, five are owned by the Port of Olympia, and two are privately owned, one near Bayview and one behind the Oyster House.

Above: Flooding creeps up Sylvester Street on Thursday morning looking south toward  the nine story Capital Center Building and the state Capitol Building. The Oyster House is on the left.

In January 2015, the city, Port of Olympia, and the LOTT Clean Water Alliance provided a coordinated presentation of their concerns and needs to a group of shoreline and coastal planners. Haub recently told Little Hollywood that his infrastructure needs, as he presented them to the group, remain valid:

Near-term Infrastructure (0.25 feet of sea level rise)

Install strategic tide gates, modify drainage system for the Capitol Lake to eliminate need to pump the 20 acre basin,  and investigate the permeability of downtown soils.

Medium-term Infrastructure (0.25 to 0.5 feet of sea level rise)

Modify elevations of Heritage Park, install permanent flood barriers on western shore of peninsula, consolidate peninsula drainage systems, disconnect flood-prone streets from the Moxlie Creek drainage system, and purchase pumps to handle downtown runoff during high tides.

After the sea level rise report presented to the city council on February 9, Little Hollywood asked Haub about Capitol Lake's stormwater system.  

“....As we learn more...we understand that the lake currently serves an important flood management function. However, the system and the topography around the lake could readily be altered to accommodate either a future estuary or lake. Sea rise will require change, regardless of the lake’s future....Our concern is that the long term projection for sea rise continues to increase, which will affect our infrastructure response.” 

He also said Percival Landing is about a foot too low to accommodate a very high tide or sea level rise.

“We expect the area around the southern portion of Percival Landing to over-top at 19 feet. The high tide on December 17, 2012 was a 17.6 foot tide. The estimate for a 100-year tide event under current conditions is 18 to 18.4 feet. When we rebuild it, we will need to evaluate the appropriate height and then how to incrementally increase it further as needed. That will be part of the design process. There are numerous options for combining flood barriers with public use and aesthetics…up to a point,” he said.

Above: By 7:10 a.m. Thursday morning, the tide was obviously receding, as indicated by this visible high water mark at Percival Landing.

For more photos and information and about downtown flooding, sea level rise, the Public Works report on sea level rise to city councilmembers on February 9, past high tide events, Capitol Lake, the valves that save a portion of downtown from flooding, the Oyster House, Percival Landing and more, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and type key words into the search engine.

Olympia Grapples with Flood Management, Sea Level Rise

Olympia Grapples with Flood Management, Sea Level Rise

water  

Above: Under a surly afternoon sky, City of Olympia and Washington State Department of Enterprise Services staff were on flood watch and ready with sandbags at Capitol Lake in the late afternoon of December 10, 2015. “It’s a bit of a dance,” said Andy Haub, City of Olympia director of water resources, of the flood management process and roles played by the city and state.

City Staff Clarify Statement That Dam is Needed to Control Downtown Flooding

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The stunningly frank sea level rise report delivered by city public works staff to Olympia councilmembers earlier this week was loud and clear: develop a vision and a plan to begin adapting to sea level rise. Like, now.

But even without the extra burden of sea level rise, the protocol for managing current flood events in downtown Olympia requires a highly managed rapid response involving state and local agency coordination.

Above: When the lake gets too high, the city stormwater system backs up. A valve, located under Water Street, is shut off, preventing lake water from flowing “up” the stormwater outlet to the lake and discharging to the catch basin in the streets at Columbia and Water Street. A pump takes the stormwater and puts it into the lake.

The Department of Enterprise Services (DES), the state agency responsible for managing the 260 acre lake, regularly releases as much water through the 5th Avenue dam as each low tide allows.

DES closely monitors weather forecasts, streamflow on the Deschutes River, tide tables and more to determine when to lower the lake below the normal winter level in advance of major storms.

On December 10, 2015, a combination of record-setting rainfall, flooding on the Deschutes River and high tides in Puget Sound caused flooding around Capitol Lake and Heritage Park. So, when DES staff determined that the lake was going to flood, the department notified the City of Olympia and closed a section of Water Street and 7th Avenue.

The city implemented its flood response plan which includes pumping excess stormwater directly into Capitol Lake and placing sandbags in the area to protect nearby businesses.

By their own admission, city staff underestimated the rate at which the lake was rising and were later than usual in closing a valve, resulting in lake water flooding the streets and coming to within inches of the doors of Olympia Supply and other local businesses.

On December 11, 2015, the day after the somewhat minor flooding incident, Little Hollywood interviewed Andy Haub, City of Olympia director of water resources, who was onsite with staff during the emergency.

LH: Tell me about this valve...the water got to within four inches of Olympia Supply's doors. 

 

Haub: We close the valve in order to prevent lake water from flowing “up” the stormwater outlet to the lake and discharging to the catch basin in the streets at Columbia and Water. The pools of water in the streets are lake/Budd Inlet water.   Usually we close the valve before the lake starts backing up. Then, the only water we pump is precipitation from the Columbia and Water Street area. In other words, once we shut the valve in the stormwater pipe, we have to pump the upstream stormwater.

Yesterday (December 10, 2015), we underestimated the rate at which the lake was rising and so were later than usual in closing the valve. Once we started the pump, the water in the streets declined very quickly - 15 minutes….

LH: I was told that the Capitol Lake area is the lowest catch basin in downtown.

Haub: The two block area around Columbia and Water Street is the only real area that is at risk from flooding due to the lake backing up. At some point, the lake can't hold it all, so that's why DES folks were standing around (in the afternoon) waiting to see if the tide would rise too high, plus the water in the lake would make it all overflow like a bathtub. When the Deschutes is flowing very high, the State lowers the lake by opening the 5th Avenue dam during the low tide preceding the high tide. Then they close the dam when the tides turn to a high tide, thereby keeping the high tide out of the lake and providing room for the river flows. It’s a bit of a dance….

LH: Is that portable pump station always going to be down there with chain link fencing around it if it seems like this is a permanent problem area? 

Haub: We keep one of the pumps there during the peak of the winter.

Haub explained that other factors such as barometric measure, wind direction and speed, temperature, low pressure systems and the effect they have on high tides also dictate Olympia’s flooding risk.

“It’s very interesting to think about and understand. Our high tide was 1.95 feet higher than predicted, simply due to low barometric pressure. You and your audience would find this dynamic interesting….” said Haub.

LH: If this whole area reverted back to an estuary, would we even we worrying about all this?

Haub: Same dynamic.

At that point, Little Hollywood had taken up enough of Haub’s time.

Above: The valve near Capitol Lake that saves a portion of downtown from flooding. 

Fast Forward: Capitol Lake, The Dam and Flood Clarification

Along with Haub, Eric Christiansen, City of Olympia water resources planning and engineer manager, provided the staff report at last Tuesday night’s council study session on sea level rise issues.

Councilmember Jessica Bateman asked how its reverting back to an estuary would impact downtown and Christiansen responded that without the dam, downtown would flood more frequently.

This short response confused and alarmed community members active with lake management conversations.

On Thursday, Little Hollywood asked Christiansen to clarify his response to Bateman, which was in conflict with the Capitol Lake Adaptive Management Plan’s (CLAMP) final Deschutes Estuary Feasibility Study report of 2007.

The report says, in part:

“...The City of Olympia may require a FEMA-approved floodplain study as part of the permitting requirements for the proposed restoration project. However, it can be concluded that flooding in the restored estuary will be similar to current (managed lake) conditions at worst. A decided advantage of the restored estuary is that flood management will no longer depend on the correct functioning of a mechanical system – flooding under current conditions can be considerably exacerbated if the tide gate controls should fail.”

Christiansen responded:

“I maybe partially misspoke. There are a few blocks of downtown between Water and Columbia and 5th and 7th streets that are at a very low elevation, approximately two feet below the flood elevation. There are about 19 storm drain pipes that connect that area and the park with Capitol Lake. Only two of those pipes that I am aware of have valves to prevent water from flowing backward into the streets. The State manipulates the dam to keep lake levels low when tides are high, thus for the most part keeping water out of the streets. The last six to twelve inches of lake elevation make a big difference. We had about a dozen tides this winter that could have caused flooding.

“Without the dam, the drainage systems will need to be modified by adding additional valves and probably consolidating pipes. It will also help if the ground in key parts of Heritage Park is elevated. The railroad tracks pose an additional challenge,” said Christensen.

Above: The 5th Avenue dam on December 18, 2015.

In conflict with information city staff and local environmental advocates have been providing the city for years, multiple downtown development projects are underway in precisely the area destined to be first impacted by sea level rise. 

These vulnerable areas, built on fill, are well within the historic shoreline of Budd Inlet.

Next: Community Response to Sea Level Rise Report

For more information about community efforts and issues in Olympia regarding Capitol Lake, the Community and Economic Revitalization Committee, sea level rise, high tide events, CLAMP, Percival Landing, Moxlie Creek, LOTT Clean Water Alliance and more, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and type key words into the search button.

Olympia Sea Level Rise Report: An Undeniable Challenge

Olympia Sea Level Rise Report: An Undeniable Challenge

water  

Above: City of Olympia staff briefed city councilmembers on the implications of sea level rise in downtown Olympia at a study session on Tuesday evening. With a four foot sea level rise, portions of West Bay, all the way to south of Union Street, and the I-5 interchange near Plum and Henderson will be inundated.

Councilmember Gilman Questions Saving Downtown

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

A brutal, sobering report on the implications of sea level rise in downtown Olympia was delivered to Olympia city councilmembers by staff at a study session Tuesday evening. 

Mayor Cheryl Selby and Councilmember Jeannine Roe were excused from the study session and council meeting.

Councilmembers asked questions after the half hour report, but were mostly faced with the undeniable, daunting fact that downtown Olympia is highly vulnerable to sea level rise and has little time to protect itself.

“This year’s work feels a little bit different from past years….We are increasingly concerned and we’re suggesting a more heightened sense of urgency in our response to this dynamic….We feel we are currently vulnerable to flooding downtown and we suggest that the long term implications for what we’ve reported to you are higher than what we’ve reported to you in the past,” said City of Olympia water resources director Andy Haub.

Since the last Ice Age, sea levels have risen more than 400 feet. This process has occurred in spurts, and at times, has risen more than one foot per decade, most likely the result of ice sheets melting. Over the past 5,000 – 7,000 years, sea levels have been stable. The Industrial Age and the use of fossil fuels have accelerated climate change, and in the last 20 years, the rate of sea level rise has nearly doubled that of the previous 100 years.

“….We should develop a vision and a plan to begin adapting to sea level rise sooner than later….We can’t go it alone and we’re only going to be as strong as the weakest link in our defense,” said Eric Christensen, City of Olympia water resources planning and engineering manager.

Staff urged active community engagement, and engineering and financial partnerships with the State of Washington, the Department of Enterprise Services, the Department of Natural Resources, the Port of Olympia, LOTT Clean Water Alliance and the Squaxin Tribe.

Sea level rise information was derived from the UW Climate Impact group and the International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC). The last IPCC report was produced in 2013, however, new information is released on a weekly basis.

According to the IPCC, sea level rise is projected to occur at a rate of 11 to 38 inches by the end of the century. These are global averages, and Christiansen said Olympia’s tides come in 1.28 times higher than Seattle’s.

Adding to sea level rise concerns, according to data via the Washington State Reference Network which monitors land movement, downtown Olympia is subsiding nine tenths of an inch per decade. Monitoring stations are affixed on regional stations throughout the state, and one is located on top of Olympia city hall.

“We have acted very responsibly to date, and we’re in a very admirable position with our knowledge of both Budd Inlet and downtown,” said Haub, who urged that the city create codes for minimum floor elevations for new construction to protect downtown assets. He hopes to propose those this year.

Staff showed several scenarios to illustrate the impacts of sea level rise and climate change in Olympia’s downtown combined with the “nuisance flooding” that already occurs as a result of tidal events. The frequency of this flooding would increase.

Along with a one foot sea level rise, flooding would occur 30 times a year; two feet of sea level rise would flood downtown 160 times a year, and four feet of sea level rise would flood downtown 440 times a year, which is more than once a day.

With a four foot sea level rise, portions of West Bay, all the way south of Union Street,  and the I-5 interchange near Plum and Henderson will be inundated.

Above: High tides of 17.6 feet and low atmospheric pressure created a flooding situation in downtown Olympia on Sylvester Street adjacent to the Oyster House in December 2012.  

The City of Olympia has acknowledged and responded to sea level rise concerns since 1990. Since 2007, staff has been providing city council with annual updates on current climate change and sea level rise research, proposed work plans for addressing sea level rise, and reporting on their accomplishments regarding those plans.

The city set a policy in 2010 to protect downtown and sea level rise is reflected in goals and policies of the city’s 2014 Comprehensive Plan.

Immediately following the report, newly appointed Councilmember Clark Gilman asked how the decision was made to protect downtown and questioned the assumption that it should be saved.

“Looking at the two foot map (indicating sea level rise), you start to see the historical (shoreline)…It’s an interesting choice… To me, downtown is a collection of businesses and public spaces and it could be anywhere within the city limits….My initial gut (reaction) is that, I would much rather invest those resources in creating a more…resilient economy than trying to stop the floodwaters,” he said.

City manager Steve Hall said that the city made its commitment to protect downtown, rather than abandon it, in 2010, adding that a half billion dollars of investments are downtown, most notably the regional LOTT Clean Water Alliance wastewater treatment system.

Councilmember Jessica Bateman asked about Capitol Lake and how its reverting back to an estuary would impact downtown. She also asked about local and regional efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Without the dam, we would currently flood more frequently….the dam definitely helps control flooding downtown,” said Christiansen. He suggested that Heritage Park could be raised to prevent flooding downtown.

Rich Hoey, City of Olympia public works director, said that there will be study session scheduled in July regarding a plan to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions over the next three years. The city adopted an ambitious plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions of 80 percent by 2050.

“Quite frankly, we’re going to need regulatory help from higher levels of government to get there….” said Hoey.

Councilmember Jim Cooper said he would like to see the city produce a guidebook of simple adaptations and technical assistance for businesses. He also expressed a desire for downtown buildings to accommodate an eight foot sea level rise, and had concerns regarding the implications of contamination and the ability for underground utilities to deal with sea water inundation.

Cooper also requested that staff model what Olympia would look like if Moxlie Creek were daylighted, and asked if that would help stormwater holding capacity as a functioning estuary. 

Staff said they would look at that scenario. Moxlie Creek is currently 15 – 20 feet below ground, and runs more than a mile through downtown Olympia from Watershed Park to East Bay.

“An incremental adaption, initially preparing for a one to two foot sea level rise - whatever we do - should build the foundation for, and not preclude measures to address four to eight feet of sea level rise,” said Christensen.

Above: The city has 36 stormwater outfalls connected to Budd Inlet and Capitol Lake that are susceptible to backflow flooding. City staff and state Department of Enterprise Services staff prepare for more flooding the afternoon of December 10, 2015 at Capitol Lake in downtown Olympia. Earlier, tides came in 30 inches higher than predicted and caught staff off guard. Water came to within four inches of Olympia Supply's doors. With climate change, El Nino events will become greater in magnitude and flooding will increase in frequency. 

Other planning ideas included elevating the grade of Heritage Park and some roadways, placing planter boxes in strategic locations, and the building flood walls or gates that automatically rise when needed.  A barrier across a waterway, called a barrage, is being used in Venice, Singapore, on the Thames River in England, and the Netherlands.

The city plans to complete ongoing, current capital facility projects, work with the city’s Utility Advisory Committee to develop a multi-year sea level rise response plan, and coordinate its efforts with the council’s Land Use Committee.

Mayor Pro Tem Nathaniel Jones admitted that while progress has been made on data, local agencies do not have the capacity to do the kind of work that needs to be done on this issue.

Coming back around to Councilmember Gilman’s suggestion about abandoning downtown, Jones said the scenario of not making all the investments to protect downtown needs to be on the table and weighed into the overall conversation.

“That alternative is there and it should be respected.”

For past City of Olympia sea level rise reports and high tide events, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search button.