Title
Approval of Park Names for the Properties known as “The Olympia Armory”, “Yelm Highway Community Park” and “Kaiser Woods Park”
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Move to approve the Community Livability and Public Safety (CLPS) Committee’s recommendation of the following park names and forward them to the City Council for consideration:
• Daley Arts Center (known as Olympia Armory)
• Jolene Unsoeld Community Park (known as Yelm Highway Community Park)
• Marj Yung Park (known as Kaiser Woods Park)
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the recommended official names for the park properties known as The Olympia Armory, Yelm Highway Community Park, and Kaiser Woods Park to Daley Arts Center, Jolene Unsoeld Community Park, and Marj Yung Park.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve the recommended official names for the park properties known as The Olympia Armory, Yelm Highway Community Park, and Kaiser Woods Park to Daley Arts Center, Jolene Unsoeld Community Park, and Marj Yung Park.
Staff Contact:
Laura Keehan, Parks, Arts and Recreation, Director of Parks Planning & Maintenance, 360.570.5855
Presenter(s):
Laura Keehan, Director of Parks Planning & Maintenance
Sarah Giannobile, Parks Planner
Valerie Roberts, Armory Building Manager
Background and Analysis:
Three parks and parks facilities are currently under the process of finding an official name - The Olympia Armory, Yelm Highway Community Park and Kaiser Woods Park.
Olympia Municipal Code Section
The process and criteria for naming parks and park facilities are detailed in Olympia Municipal Code 12.62.050:
D. In naming parks and other park facilities, consideration shall be given primarily to:
1. Neighborhood, boundary roads, or common usage identification;
2. A natural or geographic feature;
3. Significant historical events or cultural attributes;
4. A historical figure;
5. A name chosen by an individual (living or deceased) who has made a significant land and/or monetary contribution to the park system;
6. An individual who has contributed outstanding civic service to the City or has been instrumental in acquiring or developing parks properties and who has been deceased for a period of at least one year;
7. Organizations having contributed to and influenced the betterment of the City.
E. Parks and park facilities shall not ordinarily be named for living persons unless they have stipulated the name as a condition of donation or unless the park or park facility is part of a regional facility that is named in conjunction with other governmental entities.
The code further identifies that PRAC shall hold a public hearing and consider all proposed names prior to making a recommendation to City Council.
Process To Date
On October 17, 2024, PRAC held a public hearing and discussed potential official names for the three properties. PRAC initially forwarded the names:
• The Daley Creative Arts Campus at the Armory
• Strawberry Fields Community Park
• McMillan Trails Park
At PRAC’s February and March 2025 meetings, staff provided additional information, and PRAC revised its recommendations to:
• Daley Arts Center
• Jolene Unsoeld Community Park
• Elk Ridge Trails Park
On October 15, 2025, the Community Livability and Public Safety (CLPS) Committee reviewed the proposed names and recommended the following:
• Daley Arts Center
• Jolene Unsoeld Community Park
• Marj Yung Park
Public testimony in support of naming Kaiser Woods Park in honor of Marj Yung influenced CLPS’s unanimous recommendation.
Property Backgrounds
“The Olympia Armory”
The City of Olympia is transforming the historic Armory building into a Creative Campus. The vision for the site is to support the arts as integral to Olympia’s way of life, encourage community growth through creativity and innovation, and use the arts to connect people, ideas, and place while operating within an equity framework.
“Yelm Highway Community Park”
In late 2018, the Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department (OPARD) purchased 83 acres at 3323 Yelm Highway for a future athletic field-oriented community park. Over the next five years, a master planning process was completed, and the project is anticipated to go to bid in March. The approved master plan includes active and passive recreation amenities, protection of critical areas, and public art integration. The park is designed to address a longstanding community need for dedicated rectangular fields, with a primary focus on soccer.
“Kaiser Woods Park” Background
Kaiser Woods Park is a 70.19-acre park located in southwest Olympia. It is currently undeveloped but is slated to be Olympia’s first park to have dedicated mountain biking trails.
In 2019, when the planning process kicked off for the Kaiser Woods Park Development, there was an effort to solicit names for the park. Fifty name suggestions were submitted during that time period. Since that time, several delays have slowed the planning and development process and therefore the naming process.
After a multi-year planning process, the park development plan is in the permitting phase with the hope of breaking ground in 2026. The park development will include over 5 miles of hiking and biking trails with skills areas and features for beginners to advanced riders. This project will also include new access to the park from Black Lake Boulevard, a 25-stall parking lot and a single restroom.
Five years have passed since the last name solicitation, so we opened another opportunity for name recommendations in conjunction with the naming of “The Armory” and “Yelm Highway Community Park.”
Climate Analysis:
Naming these parks will not have a climate impact.
Equity Analysis:
Park names reflect the values, history and identity of the community. Naming decisions can advance equity when they honor underrepresented groups, recognize cultural histories and places. Names that exclude underrepresented communities can reinforce historical inequities and limit opportunities for belonging. The park naming process provides several opportunities for community input through a variety of engagement methods and consideration of multiple perspectives before a final recommendation is made.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Park name suggestions were solicited from the public on Engage Olympia during the month of September 2024. Several community members have provided testimony and/or written comments supporting various names.
Financial Impact:
There is no financial impact related to officially naming the parks. Signage and other associated costs will be addressed in the planning for each individual park.
Options:
1. Move to approve the recommended official names for the park properties known as The Olympia Armory, Yelm Highway Community Park, and Kaiser Woods Park to Daley Arts Center, Jolene Unsoeld Community Park, and Marj Yung Park.
2. Approve alternative official names.
3. Do not approve official park names. The parks would not have official names and would continue to be known by their working names until a new official naming process was pursued.
Attachments:
Suggested Park Names- Armory
Suggested Park Names- Yelm Highway Park
Suggested Park Names- Kaiser Woods