Title
Artesian Commons Update
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive an update on the Artesian Commons Park and provide guidance to staff on working with the Artesian Leadership Committee to facilitate a public process to develop a revised long-term vision for the park.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive an update on the progress that has been made and the ongoing challenges of the Artesian Commons Park, and discuss a general direction for moving forward.
Staff Contact:
Paul Simmons, Director, Parks, Arts and Recreation Department, 360.753.8462
Presenter(s):
Paul Simmons, Director, Parks, Arts and Recreation Department
Background and Analysis:
On May 3 2014, the City of Olympia opened Artesian Commons Park with the vision of creating a food-truck-based plaza area, while also preserving public access to the Artesian Well. The original vision for the park was based on a previously held "Project for Public Spaces" workshop. The goal of the project was to discourage already existing negative and illegal behaviors by transforming a problematic location downtown into an active park filled with positive behavior.
For a variety of reasons, the vision to attract a variety of food trucks never materialized. There were two vendors operating within the first month, but neither was able to successfully maintain their operation at this location. With limited programming and maintenance resources, Artesian Commons Park continued to struggle with destructive behavior, violence, and illegal drug use and dealing. In addition to those challenges, the park also struggled with excessive trash and debris due to the heavy use of the park.
Based on the ongoing safety and sanitary struggles with the park, the Land Use and Environment Committee developed a recommendation to temporarily close the park at the beginning of 2015. However, that recommendation received strong public testimony that focused on th...
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