Title
Public Hearing and Decision- Evergreen Inn Heritage Register Listing
Recommended Action
Conduct a public hearing to accept comments on the Evergreen Inn Heritage Register application and move to have the property included on the Olympia Heritage Register
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve including the Evergreen Inn as a historic property on the Olympia Heritage Register
Staff Contact:
Brittany Gillia, Historic Preservation Officer, Community Development, 360.753.8427
Presenter(s):
Brittany Gillia, Historic Preservation Officer
Amie Gutierrez, Ryan LLC
Background and Analysis:
The City of Olympia has received an application to place 2402 Lakeridge Way SW on the Olympia Heritage Register (herein referred to as “Register”). The applicant is Amie Gutierrez with Ryan LLC, a tax firm hired by the property owner, Olympia 196 LLC, to pursue the historic listing and a subsequent request for Special Tax Valuation with the City. The subject property has recently undergone an adaptive reuse to convert the 196-room conference hotel into 196 market-rate studio units and before and after images are provided as attachments.
The Heritage Review Committee met on November 2nd to perform a site visit and analyze the historic integrity of the property and have recommended the property to move forward for review in front of the full Heritage Commission. Tonight the Heritage Commission will deliberate the potential historic and architectural importance of the site and evaluate the project using the designation criteria as found in OMC 18.12.080.
Staff Findings:
Following a review of the application, additional documents, and Olympia Municipal code, the Historic Preservation Officer and Heritage Review Committee finds the property meets the requirements based on the following:
1. The property has significant character, interest, and value with respect to the cultural characteristics of the City- This site was part of the first Planned Unit Development (PUD) in the city and provided lodging, meeting, and event space that has been utilized by many lawmakers and lobbyists visiting the State Capitol during annual legislative sessions as well as many community events, lectures, fundraisers and more.
2. The site is at least 50 years old- The building was constructed in 1970 and therefore meets the age requirement.
3. The site possesses several elements of integrity, including location, design, setting, materials and maintenance- These elements remain intact, even after decades of continued uses as a hotel and conference center and through the recent change of use into housing units.
4. The project falls into category B- “Embodies the distinctive architectural characteristics of a type, period, style or method of design or construction, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction.”
The applicant is concurrently applying for Special Property Tax Valuation (STV). The results of this public hearing and deliberation will directly impact the viability of the STV application due to the timeframe required for approval and return to the County Assessor’s office.
Climate Analysis:
The greenest building is the one that is already built, and the project is an adaptive reuse which helps to reduce the waste associated with demolishing a building and with new construction. Following the NPS guidelines encourages repair of historic material as much as possible, which reduces the introduction of more waste to landfills.
Equity Analysis:
The Olympia Heritage Commission is dedicated to improving education and outreach. Every application for the Heritage Register and Special Valuation program are opportunities to engage underrepresented communities in the civic process which may lead to future involvement in the City’s historic preservation programming.
The project is an adaptive reuse of hotel units into housing units. Increasing the amount of available housing units helps to ease the pressure of rental market pricing and moves the City closer to our housing target growth rates.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
N/A
Options:
1. Move to include the Evergreen Inn on the Olympia Heritage Register
2. Request additional information and recommend amendments to the Evergreen Inn nomination for reevaluation and review at a later date, no later than November 20. Note: delay past November 20 will cause an automatic denial for the pending Special Tax Valuation application for the subject property.
3. Move to deny the Evergreen Inn from being included on the Olympia Heritage Register
Financial Impact:
Listing on the Olympia Heritage Register includes the procurement and installation of a bronze plaque to be paid for by the City’s Community Development Department budget. The plaque and installation fee are estimated to cost around $1,000.
Attachments:
• Property Owner Certification
• Statement of Significance
• Building Description
• Draft of Significant Historic Features
• Additional Historic Information
• Historic Photos
• Current Photos