Title
Port of Olympia Proposed State Environmental Policy Act Planned Action
Recommended Action
City Manager Recommendation:
Recommend that Council direct staff, as a 2014 work plan priority, to support the Port of Olympia's efforts to initiate a Planned Action for its undeveloped downtown properties.
Report
Issue:
Should the City of Olympia commit staff support to a Port of Olympia Planned Action for its undeveloped downtown properties, which will result in complete identification of environmental impacts and mitigations that will be adopted by the City of Olympia in advance of development applications being submitted?
Staff Contact:
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Development, 360.753.8206
Presenter(s):
Leonard Bauer, Deputy Director, Community Planning and Development
Background and Analysis:
On October 31, 2013, the City of Olympia received the attached letter and map from Mike Reid, Port of Olympia Senior Manager of Business Development, inviting the City to partner with the Port to explore a SEPA Planned Action for the remaining undeveloped Port-owned properties in downtown Olympia. The letter stated that, if this concept is considered a worthy priority by the City of Olympia, the Port is prepared to adequately budget and resource this project in 2014. The City's role in the partnership would be to provide staff coordination in support of the Planned Action, and for the city council to adopt an ordinance implementing the Planned Action at the end of the process.
The Port's stated intents of pursuing a SEPA Planned Action are:
1. Reduce barriers to development on Port property by providing certainty to the development marketplace and thus creating a platform for investment in downtown Olympia;
2. Utilize the Planned Action SEPA process to obtain and affirm the community's vision for the Port owned properties;
3. Identify mitigation and public investment opportunities including but not limited to the E...
Click here for full text