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.

Once the required number of signatures (about 4,000) is gathered from people registered to vote in Olympia, the City Council has the choice of simply adopting the Ordinance contained in the initiative or asking for the vote of the entire community in a special election that would be held February 3, 2009. A special election would cost about $100,000. Initiative sponsors hope the City Council will choose to adopt that Ordinance and use some of the funds that would be spend on an election to actually conduct the feasibility analysis.

From the initial group of six former planning commissioners, a large alliance involving hundreds of people has blossomed to work for this better vision for Olympia. The League of Women Voters, 20/20 Vision Olympia, Friends of the Waterfront, People for a Participatory City and many others have all joined together to make the Initiative Petition drive successful. At deadline for this publication over 3000 signatures have already been gathered.

If you want to help, or add your support in in this effort, please read and sign the printed petition below.