Title
Plum Street to Eastside Street Subarea Planning Scoping Discussion
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Discuss the future subarea planning or text amendments scope of work for areas of Olympia in the vicinity of Plum and Eastside Streets.
Report
Issue:
Whether to discuss the future subarea planning or text amendments scope of work for areas of Olympia in the vicinity of Plum and Eastside Streets.
Staff Contact:
Casey Schaufler, Associate Planner, Community Planning & Economic Development, 360.753.8254
Presenter(s):
Casey Schaufler, Associate Planner, Community Planning & Economic Development
Background and Analysis:
A text code amendment application was received in 2023 requesting City Council consider allowing additional drive-through businesses along Plum Street in downtown Olympia. The amendment was ultimately not adopted by Council. However, a majority of Council identified a need to re-evaluate the underlying zoning and development standards in an area from Plum Street to Eastside Street.
Plum Street is a primary entry to downtown Olympia via its connection to Interstate 5. Immediately off of Plum Street is a mix of commercial and office uses, most prominently featuring existing restaurants and drive-throughs as well as Washinton State agency offices. The north section between Plum and Eastside Streets contains a mix of single-family and multi-family residential and is represented by the Olympia Downtown Alliance and Olympia Downtown Neighborhood Associations. The Bigelow and Eastside Neighborhood Associations are also immediately adjacent to the north and east, respectively. Additionally, the recognized Olympia Avenue Historic neighborhood is to the north (lying largely within the Bigelow Neighborhood Association boundaries).
As part of the Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update, Council directed staff to include language to consider future subarea planning for the Plum Street corridor and surrounding area. As a result, the following section was added to the Land Use chapter:
“The area surrounding Plum Street from Interstate 5 to the vicinity of State Avenue, including the Eastside Street area, should be examined in a future planning effort. Plum Street is a Downtown entry street and provides direct access to the Port of Olympia from Interstate 5. The area where Plum Street intersects with Interstate 5 is described in the Urban Corridors section of this chapter as a “gateway” to Olympia. Future planning efforts for this area should evaluate a range of aspects of this area, including but not limited to, transportation, future land use designations, and its relation to Downtown.”
The Olympia 2045 update further supports this addition in two policies, one in the Land Use Chapter (PL22.8) and the other in the Transportation Chapter (PT18.2). Each policy emphasizes redevelopment of the Plum Street corridor while also streamlining multiple chapters of Olympia Municipal Code that apply to this area. Currently, Plum Street is governed by five separate zoning district development standards, regulations for downtown design review with four distinct subdistricts, and engineering design standards. Additionally, Plum Street itself is identified as a Downtown Entry Street, Civic Boulevard, City Gateway, arterial, bicycle corridor and is host to nine out of seventeen of the City of Olympia’s identified High Visibility Street Corners. Each of these street-type identifiers carries specific design or engineering requirements affecting street layout, site planning, and building features.
Attached to this report is a proposed boundary map for a future subarea plan. The map proposes a western boundary at Plum Street, State Avenue to the north, Eastside Street to the east, and the intersection of Plum and Eastside Streets near Interstate 5 as the southern terminus.
The proposed subarea plan scope of work for consideration and discussion is as follows:
1. Visioning with stakeholders and public.
2. Traffic estimates and assumptions, analysis if a traffic study is needed.
3. Integrate gateway, downtown entry street, and civic boulevard provisions into a desired street cross section for all transportation modes.
4. Consider land use designation changes and rezones, if needed.
5. Identify ways to transition to nearby lower density residential areas (historic district to the north and neighborhood east of eastside street), if needed.
6. Subarea Plan including artist renderings of what the area could look like and infrastructure investment cost estimates.
Climate Analysis:
As this is an exploratory discussion related to future scope of work, there are no immediate climate impacts. As work progresses, staff will work on a climate analysis for any proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan or Olympia Municipal Code.
Equity Analysis:
The intent of the subarea plan is to reduce barriers to development. This will primarily benefit existing property owners seeking to redevelop or improve assets within the proposed subarea boundaries. A more detailed analysis will be completed as scope of work and subarea planning progresses.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Unknown at this time, but public interest in previous subarea planning (i.e. Capital Mall Triangle Subarea Plan) was robust. The proposed Plum Street subarea boundaries encompasses roughly 160 parcels of land, 130 property owners, and 110 residential addresses. Within 250 feet of the proposed boundary are an additional 200 residential address points. City staff are in the early stages of developing a public participation plan to gather feedback and input from community members.
Financial Impact:
Additional costs are not anticipated at this time. Scope of work will dictate future financial impacts.
Options:
1. Discuss the future subarea planning or text amendments scope of work for areas of Olympia in the vicinity of Plum and Eastside Streets.
2. Do not discuss the future subarea planning or text amendments scope of work for areas of Olympia in the vicinity of Plum and Eastside Streets.
3. Take other action.
Attachments:
Map of Proposed Plum Street Subarea Plan Boundaries