Title
West Bay Restoration and Park Master Plan Recommendation
Recommended Action
Recommend approval of the West Bay Restoration and Park Master Plan to City Council.
Report
Issue:
Whether to recommend approval of the West Bay Restoration and Park Master Plan.
Presenter:
Laura Keehan, Parks Planning & Design Manager
Staff Contact:
Laura Keehan, Parks Planning & Design Manager, Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation, 360.570.5855
Background and Analysis:
Completion of the West Bay Restoration and Park Master Plan marks an important milestone in the journey to restore Olympia's West Bay waterfront. The Plan includes restoration of over three-quarters of a mile of the West Bay shoreline along Budd Inlet.
The ultimate implementation of this vision will create a 17-acre park as well as 5,000 linear feet of the West Bay Trail.
This master plan captures the community's vision and has been developed through a series of public meetings and engagement opportunities over a number years. The City has also worked extensively with the Squaxin Island Tribe to maximize ecological enhancement and explore opportunities for art and interpretive elements at this site that has been important to the Tribe since time immemorial. This is over laid with an integrated and educational art and interpretive program that explains the rich and complex history of the Deschutes Estuary, Tribal history, current environmental concerns, and improved aquatic habitat updates being made to the site.
Implementation of this plan will take many years due to the project's complexity and the coordination, funding and collaboration required. Completion of this plan provides the shared foundation on which to start implementing this vision in phases over time.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Because of this community park's waterfront location, residents across Olympia have interest in this location.
The Squaxin Island Tribe has significant interest in the shoreline environment of W...
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