Title
Approval of a Resolution Ratifying an Easement Agreement with Puget Sound Energy at Franz Anderson Tiny House Village
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve a Resolution approving and ratifying the execution of an Easement Agreement by the City Manager for the installation and maintenance of Puget Sound Energy electric equipment at Franz Anderson Tiny House Village.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve a Resolution approving and ratifying the execution of an Easement Agreement by the City Manager for the installation and maintenance of Puget Sound Energy electric equipment at Franz Anderson Tiny House Village.
Staff Contact:
Patrick Knouff, Engineering Project Coordinator, Public Works Engineering, 360.753.8352
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item.
Background and Analysis:
The Public Works Department has executed an easement agreement for the installation and maintenance of Puget Sound Energy (PSE) electric equipment at the Franz Anderson Tiny House Village. The easement grants access to Puget Sound Energy to install critical utility systems on City property.
The easement was executed by the City Manager under the City’s Homeless Public Health Emergency Housing Ordinance No. 7359. This work is critical to the operation of the tiny house village which is part of the ongoing efforts at the federal, state, and local level to address the housing and homeless crisis. It is also a direct result of the agreement the City of Olympia entered into with the Washington State Department of Commerce to build a 50-unit tiny house village at the south end of Franz Anderson Road adjacent to I-5.
Climate Analysis:
The Franz Anderson Tiny House Village will likely result in a maintenance or increase of carbon emissions. The project will construct fifty tiny houses and 9 small support buildings which will all need electricity for lighting, heating, and laundry and bathroom/shower uses. However, this project supports the strategies of reducing energy consumption in new construction by using high efficiency products, increasing access to public transit and pathways by prohibiting personal vehicles, and reducing impacts on carbon sequestering ecosystems/shade producing tree canopy by using pervious asphalt to limit the overall size of the site.
Equity Analysis:
The Franz Anderson Tiny House Village will benefit Olympia's most vulnerable populations. It will allow for relocation of individuals from WSDOT Rights-of-Way and provide a safe, clean, and warm environment for additional support services to be provided. This new environment will have a stabilizing effect on the target population and may reduce the overall Fire/EMS/Police call demand in the area. The new site will relocate the demand on emergency services to an environment that is safer for the first responders. The project will create limited burden on adjacent property owners in the form of increased foot/vehicle traffic, noise, and lighting. The demographic data is limited on the specific individuals that will benefit/ be burdened, much of the benefit/burden analysis centers on the known needs of the houseless. The project seeks to reduce disparities but because the site has limited capacity there will be individuals that can't be served by the site or may have to wait to be served. The County has a coordinated entry program that identifies/prioritizes the most vulnerable individuals which should limit the impact of those disparities.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
This project is in direct response to residents expressed concerns regarding the housing and homeless crisis. Staff held one of two virtual meetings on April 4, 2023, as part of the Emergency Housing Permit, concerning development of the Franz Anderson Tiny House Village. The focus of the first meeting was to discuss the specific design features/elements of the site. A comment received was concerned about the impact on adjacent property values due to the tiny house village. A second public meeting is scheduled and will focus on the operation of the site.
Financial Impact:
This project is funded through an agreement with the Department of Commerce. The Department of Commerce has agreed to provide $3.2 million for the development of the site and another $3 million to operate the site for three years.
The electric equipment installation will use $28,919.47 of the approved agreement budget.
Options:
1. Approve a Resolution approving and ratifying the execution of an Easement Agreement by the City Manager for the installation and maintenance of Puget Sound Energy electric equipment at Franz Anderson Tiny House Village. The electric equipment installation is underway and will proceed as planned.
2. Direct staff to modify the Resolution and return to Council for approval at a later date. The electric equipment installation will continue while revisions are made to the Resolution.
3. Do not approve a Resolution approving and ratifying the execution of an Easement Agreement by the City Manager for the installation and maintenance of Puget Sound Energy electric equipment at Franz Anderson Tiny House Village. The electric equipment installation will be completed without Council ratifying the easement.
Attachments:
Resolution
Agreement
Vicinity Map