Title
Proposed Partnership with Olympia School District for a Secondary School Colocation at the Future Yelm Highway Community Park
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
On January 21, 2021, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee voted (4-3) to not recommend continuing to explore a partnership with Olympia School District to locate a secondary school at the Yelm Highway Community Park site based on eight concerns presented by Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) subcommittee members.
On December 2, 2021, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee voted (7-1) to not recommend colocation with a school at the Yelm Highway Community Park site.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to authorize negotiation of the necessary agreements needed to execute a partnership with Olympia School District to locate a secondary school at the Yelm Highway Community Park property based on the proposed terms.
Report
Issue:
Whether to enter into a partnership with Olympia School District to locate a secondary school at the Yelm Highway Community Park.
Staff Contact:
Paul Simmons, Parks, Arts and Recreation Director, 360.753.8462
Laura Keehan, Parks Planning & Design Manager, 360.570.5855
Presenter(s):
Jay Burney, City Manager
Paul Simmons, Parks, Arts and Recreation Director
Laura Keehan, Parks Planning & Design Manager
Background and Analysis:
In late 2018, Olympia Parks, Arts and Recreation Department (OPARD) finalized the purchase of 83 acres located at 3323 Yelm Highway for a future community park to support the development of four rectangular fields and many other complimentary amenities. The property is located next to a previously purchased 3.54-acre park parcel also on Yelm Highway.
The Yelm Highway Park Master Planning project was delayed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly thereafter, OPARD was approached by Olympia School District (“the School District”) with a request to consider allowing the School District to utilize a 22.91-acre portion of the park site for a future secondary school to be constructed in ten years or more. The School District would either purchase the property outright or trade an as-yet-to-be-identified parcel for the 22.91-acres.
In a joint public meeting on November 16, 2020, OPARD and the School District described the concept and answered questions from the community. Following that meeting an online public survey was posted to the project’s Engage Olympia webpage and was open through December 6, 2020. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) held a special meeting on December 17, 2020, to review the survey results. PRAC designated a subcommittee to study the co-location proposal. At PRAC’s January 21, 2021, meeting they discussed eight concerns associated with the proposed co-location of a secondary school at the park site. A motion passed (4-3) to not recommend continuing to explore a partnership with Olympia School District to locate a secondary school at the Yelm Highway Community Park site based on the eight concerns presented by the PRAC subcommittee.
Based on familiarity with the site, Berger Partnership was hired directly by the School District to perform an analysis of the eight concerns raised by PRAC. The School District and Berger Partnership prepared a response to PRAC’s concerns and presented the information to PRAC at a special meeting held on December 2, 2021. PRAC voted (7-1) to not recommend to Council that a secondary school be co-located at the Yelm Highway Community Park site.
At a Council Study Session on February 8, 2022, the City Council received additional information from the School District, Berger Partnership, and PRAC Chair Maria Ruth. The Council’s discussion continued during the Council’s regular meeting on the same night. Further information and discussion on the topic occurred by Council at their March 1, 2022, regular meeting. At this meeting City staff presented pros and cons of a potential partnership with the Olympia School District, student population growth projections for Southeast Olympia, and a presentation showing the other parcels of land in Olympia that could accommodate a high school.
Following that meeting, the City received an official partnership proposal (below) from Olympia School District that outlines the terms of their proposed partnership. These terms include real estate transactions and property exchanges, a proposal outlining shared development costs at Yelm Highway (including an expanded auxiliary gym for City recreation purposes), and proposed enhancements and expansions of the current Joint Use Agreement. The current Joint Use Agreement has been in place for decades and stipulates the terms of how the City and the School District coordinate shared use and maintenance of share facilities and fields.
Olympia School District’s Proposed Terms for a Yelm-Highway Co-Location Agreement
Real Estate Transaction
● District purchases 22.91 (more or less) acres of Yelm Highway property via transfer of 27-acre property on Harrison (Westside) to City. District also seeks and purchases an alternative site for a fire station in the Yelm Highway area.
○ Values of these three properties equalized as necessary to meet public entity for fund requirements once appraisals are complete.
● The District gives the City a one-time option to purchase the downtown East parcel of land adjacent to the Knox building, beginning July 1, 2022 through July 1, 2027. The purchase agreement must accommodate some parking for the district; see note. [Note: The land is actually two mis-shaped parcels. The District must retain some of the land for parking. It may be best to subdivide the parcels to create two rectangular parcels, one small for the District and one large for the City to purchase.]
● The District commits to continuing to support an agriculture education program, and to actively seek to purchase land supporting this program.
● District will construct a school in 10-15 years; should OSD NOT construct a school, District would give the City a one-time right of first refusal re-purchase of property at its then fair market value.
Immediate Shared Costs and Commitments of Co-location
● Frontage and infrastructure build:
○ District covers added development cost associated with school (sewer lift station and additional wetland mitigation (est. $650,000), to be built in Phase I.
○ District covers an added gopher mitigation fee (est. $650,000). (Gopher mitigation requires much design work at the time of mitigation; see design requirements in section, At Time of Construction.)
○ Tax and bond laws permit the district to spend tax resources on a school purpose. Therefore, District tax expenditures must be related to the build of the school. Simultaneously the district understands the need to make the park a welcoming, organized environment at Phase I.
■ District covers 70% of costs of Wiggins Road entrance and access improvements, to be built in Phase I.
■ District covers 70% of design and development for signaled pedestrian crossing near Spooner stand entrance, to be initiated in Phase I. The District and City will also consider whether other transportation-required measures meet this crossing need.
■ District builds 85% of all Yelm Highway frontage improvements or assists with immediate park frontage improvement plans.
■ If required due to the addition of the school, District covers full design and development for costs of Wiggins connection to Hamptons. (District would advocate the full development be delayed until school construction begins, but design now so that connections are planned.)
○ District and City will negotiate on the specifics of these aspects to identify District (and City’s) cost and ensure that District expenditures are predictable and future-proof through a development agreement.
● District designs and builds one of the four soccer/Lacrosse/football fields (a running track is also incorporated into the District -built field).
● District will assume City’s lease of the 22.91 acres (more or less) to/for the berry farm until the time it must end the lease to undertake construction.
● District will undertake a preliminary school, field and access road design--with City full participation--to facilitate the frontage and mitigation requirements, but also to ensure a cohesive design for the school and park, and to maximize opportunities for shared infrastructure (such as parking).
● Update and modernize the Joint Use Agreement by January 1, 2024, and include all future facilities related to co-location on the Yelm Highway property.
○ Use agreement requires OPARD) to manage field scheduling for all Yelm Highway fields, similarly to other joint use fields. (Exception, district schedules use of 1 field for school day, 30 minutes prior to bell and 30 minutes after bell.)
○ Once the auxiliary gym is built, OPARD will manage the second court of the auxiliary gym.
○ No net loss of gym or field space, co-location is designed to add on to current levels of service (other facilities are not pulled out of the Joint Use Agreement).
○ Consideration for school district use of fields for high school play-offs (typically 1-2 days a season).
At Time of Construction of School
● City staff and community are included in the school design process (to ensure that park and school are cohesive and park remains a prominent feature).
● District will design and construct an Auxiliary Gym with a full-size high school basketball court managed per the Joint Use Agreement for primarily community use, including permanent access to storage and restrooms. (The gym is sized to include 2 full basketball courts and each court converts to 2 full volleyball courts.)
Due to state grant deadlines and critical permitting timelines, there is a need to make a decision on this partnership in order to maintain our goal of starting Phase I construction in 2024. At the March 22, 2022 regular meeting, it is anticipated that City Council will evaluate the terms of the School District proposal and give City staff direction on how to proceed forward.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Hundreds of community members have been involved in the ongoing Yelm Highway Community Park Master Plan process. Soccer players and neighbors from The Hamptons and Indian Summer neighborhoods have shown particular interest in this site. Recently, community members have also expressed support for the partnership proposed by the Olympia School District.
Options:
1. Move to authorize negotiation of the necessary agreements needed to execute a partnership with the Olympia School District to locate a secondary school at the Yelm Highway Community Park property based on the proposed terms.
2. Move to deny partnership with the Olympia School District to locate a secondary school at the Yelm Highway Community Park site and proceed with the Park Master Plan and Development.
3. Discuss this issue further at a future date, this could potentially impact the 2022 Grant cycle, permitting timelines, and cause delays with the anticipated goal of starting construction on phase I in 2024.
Financial Impact:
The proposal from the Olympia School District includes a land swap of additional park acreage, shared development costs for Phase I (estimated to be above $6 million in reduced costs to the City), and enhanced community access to School District fields and facilities at the Yelm Highway Community Park site.
Attachments:
Olympia School District Letter
Engage Olympia Project Webpage