Here is the video from the September 30, 2008 Olympia City Council Meeting. The meeting included deliberation over a proposal to rezone an area of the "Isthmus" in downtown Olympia in order to allow the development of a mid-rise luxury condominium project. Original video (w/ better A/V synchronization) is available at the city website, City of Olympia. Video on the flipside.

In November of 2002, the City Council adopted the Parks, Arts & Recreation Plan, which established the goals and policies of implementing new parks and selecting park and open space properties. This plan also amended the Growth Management Act ordinance, originally passed in 1994.

The plan inventoried existing city owned park land, and outlined future projects and estimated costs. The document also included an implementation schedule up to 2025.

In all, the inventory indicated that the City owns just below 900 acres of park land, of which 590 acres are undeveloped. This does not include state or federal lands. (Chp 6 p2)

The Parks plan projected their expenditures up to the year 2025. They estimate to spend about 5 million a year on land acquisition or development of current lands, using grants, taxes and levies. (Table 9 - Final Implementation Plan)

The document includes a huge push for the City to acquire the waterfront lands on the west side of Budd Inlet. Currently, the city owns about 32% of Budd Inlet shorelines within the city. [PAR 8.6: With the Port of Olympia, jointly improve public recreation facilities on the East Bay, West Bay, and the Port peninsula. (Ord. #5971, 12/14/99) Also: POS 4.4 An area from the 5th Avenue Bridge to West Bay Marina, from the west shoreline of West Bay to West Bay Drive is an important scenic waterfront that needs to be planned in a coordinated manner. Creating a vision for this area will involve a variety of stakeholders including property owners. Port of Olympia and other local, state and federal agencies and the public. A plan for this area may include recreation facilities, proposed changes in land uses and multi-modal transportation improvements. A planned waterfront from Percival Landing to the West Bay Marina will allow for predictable and organized public and private investments.

This story has been updated with the complete collection of videos posted here: http://olyblog.net/video-city-council-public-hearing-isthmus-building-height-rezone

Have you seen the video from last Tuesday's public hearing? It's 5 hours - but if you're interested in the rezone issue, this is a must-see (yes - all 5 hours.)

I was truly impressed by the depth and breadth of the public comments presented to the Council last Tuesday.

Video from the hearing is in four parts. The introduction is just under 30 minutes, parts one and two are a little less than 100 minutes and part three is a little over 50 minutes.

Here are the videos. The video and audio isn't synched perfectly (especially the introduction (-maybe it can be repaired)). But the video does seem to work (at least it does for me.)

Here they are:

Introduction:

Part One:

Part Two:

I posted an update about the meeting at In the Course of Events (Wednesday, September 17, 2008, title for future reference, or here is a direct link: Public Hearing on Isthmus Rezone).

I am hoping someone will post a run-down of local rezone hearing commentary.

Did anyone else find the meeting exhilarating?

Former Governors Speak Out:

20/20 Vision Olympia

I picked up a copy of the Olympia Isthmus Park News. It has an article about the initiative petition drive. I am going to transcribe it here (with emphasis added):

The Olympia Capitol Park Foundation has taken the lead in organizing an Initiative Petition campaign to ask the City Council to take a serious look, for the first time, at the feasibility of developing a large part of the Isthmus between Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet into an extension of Heritage Park.

The Initiative drive grew out of the concerns of six former Olympia Planning Commissioners about the proposed increase in the height limitations for buildings on the Isthmus, from 35 feet to 90 feet.

While the former commissioners believe that such a re-zone should not be permitted, they also believe that instead of polarizing the community every five years or so with a divisive debate over the height limits, it is time to seriously look for a better vision for Olympia. They hope that instead of just being against the change, people are ready to support transforming this spectacular site into a great public space.

Public response has been overwhelmingly positive. Over 80% of the people approached about signing the petition have done so.

COME SEE THE VIEW THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!

We invite you, your family, and friends to join 20/20 Vision Olympia this coming Saturday, September 13, on the State Capitol Campus for See It While You Can: Help us Save our View!. We're gathering near the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial overlooking Heritage Park from 11 until 1 pm.

The weather experts are promising sunshine, and our 20/20 Vision professional photographer Julie Woods will be on hand to take your picture (with your camera and/or hers) against the gorgeous backdrop of Puget Sound and the Olympics to the north--views that 20/20 Vision and other local organizations are trying so hard to preserve. We'll have petitions on hand for the Olympia Capitol Parks Foundation's iniative drive, requiring our city council to pause before they make the rezone decision (doesn't that sound good?) and study the feasibility of acquiring the isthmus and developing it into a wonderful city park area. If you're registered to vote in Olympia and you've not yet signed a petition, we hope you will on Saturday.

If you can't make it then, this is still a great week to visit the Capitol Campus, thought to be the most stunning in the entire country. Come enjoy our precious, historically conceived views from the Law Enforcement Memorial, and see for yourself just exactly what's at stake. Parking is available on the diagnonals leading into the Capitol.

Thanks, everyone--and do check out our website: www.2020visionolympia.org

P.S. Please take a little time to learn more about 20/20's planning vision for Olympia by going to www.youtube.com/2020visionolympia, and checking the installments of 'Back From the Brink.' We think you'll be inspired.

Here you can find articles about the Triway Enterprises proposal to rezone building height limits on the isthmus (to allow for high rise structures). You can also find articles about the opposition to the proposal.

If you have something that should be added to the book, Isthmus 2008, feel free to leave a comment.

I noticed that those who supported the rezone proposal were allowed to speak both first and last at last night's meeting. Is that fair?

The full hearing will be aired on TCTV, at 12 noon on Friday and 7 pm on July 8th, local channel 3 (citation).

Here's a video from theolympian.com:

link to theolympian.com video by Matt McVay