Title
Acceptance of the Proposed List of 2025 Engineering Design and Development Standards Updates
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to accept the proposed list of 2025 Engineering Design and Development Standards (EDDS) updates.
Report
Issue:
Whether to accept the proposed list of 2025 EDDS updates.
Staff Contact:
Stephen Sperr, P.E., Assistant City Engineer, Public Works Engineering, 360.753.8739
Presenter(s):
Stephen Sperr, P.E., Assistant City Engineer, Public Works Engineering
Background and Analysis:
The Engineering Design and Development Standards (EDDS) guide the design and construction of transportation, drinking water, reclaimed water, sewer, stormwater, and solid waste collection systems in the City of Olympia and its Urban Growth Area. They are also the technical interpretation of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and various utility master plans. The City Engineer is responsible for approving and administering the EDDS.
The EDDS are updated annually to:
• Implement Goals and Policies established in the City’s Comprehensive Plan and other Council-approved plans such as the Downtown Strategy,
• Reflect changes to the Olympia Municipal Code (OMC), particularly Titles 12-18,
• Help implement policies established in approved Utility Master Plans,
• Address changes in equipment and materials,
• Enable the use of improvements in technology, and
• Clarify information and requirements described in the text and shown on standard drawings.
A short presentation will be made on the list of 2025 topics. The presentation will highlight a few topics of particular interest, including an update on the following substantive changes: undergrounding overhead power lines, changing the EDDS to support recent and anticipated middle housing code amendments, and changing local access street standards. These topics implement Comprehensive Plan goals and policies consistent with reducing housing and development costs while maintaining public safety.
Climate Analysis:
Several of the substantive changes support the City’s Climate Mitigation Strategies. One of these in particular, Middle Housing Code Amendments, will support denser housing on existing, developed properties, reducing urban sprawl and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
Equity Analysis:
The proposed changes do not focus on a particular area in the City, nor any particular group. However, several of the substantive changes, such as Middle Housing Code Amendments, are also anticipated to have a positive impact on those groups in our community that are economically disadvantaged.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
The EDDS provide predictability and consistency in how the City’s infrastructure is built. Making timely changes to the EDDS ensures that infrastructure installed meets the most current standards and builds the foundation for the City’s vision.
Additional information related to the proposed changes will be available on the City webpage dedicated to the EDDS as it is developed in the coming months. Stakeholders are engaged throughout the review and approval process.
Financial Impact:
Most of the proposed changes should not result in notable increases to the costs of private development or public work projects. Additionally, eliminating the requirement to underground overhead power for most redevelopment projects will reduce costs of these types of projects significantly.
Options:
1. Move to accept staff’s list of 2025 updates to the Engineering Design and Development Standards. Staff will continue to develop the changes to the proposed topics, bringing back to this Committee the draft changes later this year for recommendation to City Council.
2. Recommend additional topics to be addressed through the 2025 annual update process. Staff will engage stakeholders and develop specific text and drawing changes to include in the draft 2025 EDDS.
Attachments:
Summary of Proposed Topics