Title
Acceptance of the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to accept the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
Report
Issue:
Whether to accept the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
Staff Contact:
Sylvana Niehuser, Interim Parks, Arts, and Recreation Director, 360.753.8068.
Presenter(s):
Sylvana Niehuser, Interim Parks, Arts, and Recreation Director, 360.753.8068.
Background and Analysis:
Every 10 years, the City is required by State law to review and update its Comprehensive Plan and implement development regulations. This update will look out to the year 2045 to show, among other things, how the City will accommodate new population and employment growth. It is also an opportunity to ensure that the Plan and Development Regulations meet current state requirements that have changed since the last major update of the Plan, and to ensure that the plan reflects our community's values.
Each chapter is being updated separately, although the staff is working diligently to ensure that chapters are supportive of one another and consistent. Because chapters are being reviewed on different timelines, staff is requesting that the City Council “accept” each chapter but to refrain from adopting until all chapters are complete and any final adjustments can be made. For example, there will likely be modifications or additions to some goals and policies in this chapter as a result of the proposed Climate Action and Resilience chapter, which has not yet gone through the public hearing process or been reviewed by Council. Staff intends to bring all “accepted” chapters back to City Council in one full document for review and final action. The deadline to complete this periodic update of the Comprehensive Plan is December 31, 2025.
Summary of Changes to Chapter
The Parks, Arts, and Recreation (PAR) Chapter is a key component of the Comprehensive Plan, providing a long-range vision for how the city will meet the needs of a growing community. It identifies challenges, goals and policies related to parkland, recreation activities, public art and culture.
Updates to this chapter are driven by several factors:
• 2022 Parks, Arts, and Recreation Plan (Adopted Master Plan)
• Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements
• Public engagement feedback (emails, surveys, public meetings)
• Input from various community groups and government agencies, including:
o Olympia Planning Commission
o Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee
o Social Justice and Equity Commission (SJEC)
o Arts Commission
o City staff
o Squaxin Island Tribe
o City of Lacey
o Puget Sound Energy (PSE)
Summary of Public Process
Throughout the process we provided many opportunities for input, including:
• Public Survey Open July 24-August 6, 2023
• Results posted to Engage Olympia August 25, 2023
• Arts Commission Briefing September 14, 2023
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Briefing September 21, 2023
• Planning Commission Briefing November 20, 2023
• Review & Comment period for interested parties & neighboring jurisdictions Nov-Dec 2023
• Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Review and Comment January 18, 2024
• Planning Commission Hearing January 22, 2024
• Planning Commission Deliberation February 12 & 26, 2024
• Social Justice and Equity Commission May 20,2024
• Council Study Session December 3, 2024
Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) reviewed the Parks, Arts, and Recreation chapter of Olympia’s Draft Comprehensive Plan, receiving briefings in September 2023 and January 2024 from staff, outlining how community feedback was incorporated. Following discussion, PRAC unanimously approved the chapter with recommended modifications: include language in the Recreation section about the role of parks in fostering community connection; clarify which equity, inclusion, and belonging policies (GR 11, PR 11.1-11.8) are departmental versus community-facing, and highlight accessibility; and specify that the capital asset management program (PR 6.1) uses measurable data.
Social Justice and Equity Commission
The Social Justice and Equity Commission reviewed the Parks, Arts, and Recreation chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan during their May 20, 2024, meeting and expressed strong support for the department’s ongoing efforts to promote inclusion, belonging, and accessibility in public spaces. The Commission emphasized the importance of creating welcoming parks for all, praised current work such as demographic and geospatial analysis, and recommended continuing efforts to foster a sense of belonging. They also suggested honoring local history and uplifting marginalized voices through storytelling, sculptures, and historical markers. Additionally, the Commission highlighted the impact of parks on Olympia’s unhoused community and encouraged thoughtful consideration of how future park developments might affect them. They thanked the City Council for the opportunity to contribute and expressed appreciation for the work being done to improve parks and recreation facilities.
Planning Commission Recommendation
The Olympia Planning Commission recommends approval of the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan with several modifications, following briefings, a public hearing, and deliberations held between November 2023 and February 2024. Key suggestions include supporting Urban Pocket Parks to increase access to public gathering spaces, ensuring equitable restroom amenities in all parks, enhancing policies to promote walkable and multi-modal access, and encouraging the preservation of open space on the Port Peninsula through collaboration with the Port of Olympia. The Commission also highlighted the need to reconsider Level of Service standards as the population grows and emphasized the importance of embedding a comprehensive equity framework to guide future planning and ensure inclusive access to parks, facilities, and programming.
Council Study Session Summary
City Councilmembers provided detailed feedback on the Parks, Arts, and Recreation chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan, emphasizing the inclusion of language recognizing the chapter's significance to the Squaxin Island Tribe and recommending incorporation of comments from the Social Justice and Equity Commission and the Planning Commission. Suggestions included expanding the Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EIB) section to address renaming parks and facilities and noting a need to revisit Level of Service (LOS) standards as urban density increases. Councilmembers also recommended strengthening policies related to youth, food access, and community gardening partnerships, and asked clarifying questions about the removal of PR7.4 from the Arts section. Additionally, they called for greater emphasis on accessibility within DEI initiatives. This feedback has been woven into the chapter content and where appropriate into the corresponding policies.
Climate Analysis:
The 2025 Comprehensive Plan includes a dedicated chapter on climate action and resilience. Once adopted by the City Council, relevant policies from that chapter will be integrated into the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Chapter. These policies will provide strategic guidance for the City’s efforts to adapt to climate impacts and mitigate the effects of climate change, helping to ensure that Olympia’s parks, arts, and recreation facilities remain resilient, sustainable, and responsive to future environmental challenges.
Equity Analysis:
Equity is a core theme of the 2045 Comprehensive Plan, with a particular emphasis on principles of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EIB). The proposed updates to the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Chapter reflect these principles as outlined in the 2022 Parks, Arts, and Recreation Plan, as well as feedback from the Planning Commission, Social Justice and Equity Commission, and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. The chapter includes goals and policies designed to close equity gaps and ensure that all community members-regardless of background, ability, or identity-have equitable access to parks, arts, public spaces, programs, and recreational opportunities.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Public input through surveys and public meetings has revealed several key themes that have been incorporated into the chapter updates. These themes reflect the community’s priorities and include:
• Trail connectivity: Strong support for expanding and improving the city’s trail network to enhance mobility and recreational opportunities.
• Equity in access to services and public spaces: A call for more equitable access to parks, recreational facilities, and services, especially in underserved communities.
• Safety in parks: Emphasis on improving safety measures in parks
• Support for sports facilities: A desire for more and improved sports infrastructure, catering to a range of recreational needs not currently being met.
• Land acquisition for future parks and conservation: Interest in securing land for future parks and preserving natural areas for conservation.
• Climate adaptation and resilience: A desire for policies that address climate impacts and enhance the city’s environmental sustainability.
Options:
1. Accept the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
2. Accept the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan, with specific modifications.
3. Do not accept the Parks, Arts, and Recreation Chapter of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan and direct staff to make specific changes to it for reconsideration at a future date.
Financial Impact:
A grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce, in the amount of $175,000 is helping to fund this work. Annual department budgets cover staff time, public outreach and engagement, and the majority of this work. The update of the City’s Comprehensive Plan allows the Parks, Arts and Recreation Department to continue to pursue State and Federal grants.
Attachments:
Resolution
Proposed Parks, Arts and Recreation Chapter
Planning Commission Recommendation Letter
Social Justice and Equity Commission Letter
Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Letter
Chapter Webpage
Public Comments