Title
Presentation on the City of Olympia Mid-Century Residential Survey
Report
Issue:
The consultants brought in to conduct a survey of ca. 400 mid-century residential properties in Olympia will make a presentation on their findings.
Staff Contact:
Michelle Sadlier, Historic Preservation Officer, Community Planning & Development, 360.753.8031
Presenter(s):
Kristen Minor, Preservation Planner, Peter Meijer Architect, PC
Background and Analysis:
Tonight the Heritage Commission and interested community members will hear a presentation on the mid-century residential survey that was commissioned to update the historical records on historic properties in Olympia. Prior to this survey, the last city-wide study of Olympia's historic buildings had not been conducted since the 1990s.
The Heritage Commission asked our consultants, Peter Meijer Architect, PC, to do a brief, visual survey houses that were built between 1945 and 1965. Funding limited the number of properties to 400, so four neighborhoods were selected that had a high proportion of homes built during this period. The areas that were surveyed were in:
· Cain Road's Forest Hills neighborhood,
· Carlyon/North neighborhood,
· Upper Eastside & Bigelow Highlands neighborhoods, and
· South Westside neighborhood.
Peter Meijer's team conducted the field portion of their survey in the fall of 2014. Since then, they have prepared Historic Property Inventory forms for the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation for each house as well as a draft version of the survey report (currently being reviewed).
This public presentation will highlight the consultants' observations on the historical significance of the four communities that they surveyed. The presentation will also touch on the consultants' recommendations on potential next steps for the Heritage Commission as it considers the possibility of further surveys and community outreach to help recognize and support the vitality our historic neighborhoods.