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Submitted by Thad Curtz on Sat, 08/16/2008 - 10:45am.
Well... I got back from two weeks in Montana, mostly off the grid, to find another new group in town about to start running an actual initiative campaign about exploring putting a park on the isthmus (apparently the first ever in the city??) I'd like it better if the content were more like a levy, so people were actually signing or voting about paying for it, but apparently there are a lot of legal limits on what you can actually do by initiative in Oly. (In particular, you can't levy any taxes, and you can't amend the comprehensive plan, etc.) The petition and instructions are at: http://groups.google.com/group/olycapitolparkfoundation/web/welcome There's also a press release with a little more information.
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Limits on initiatives
Submitted by Matthew Green on Sat, 08/16/2008 - 12:19pm.Ug, glorified opinion poll
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Sat, 08/16/2008 - 12:25pm.Unfortunately, without asking for money or establishing a new tax to make this happen, the best they could hope for is an opinion poll of Olympians.
In terms of money, this is a huge ask for the city. Last time we considered more spending for parks, we decided to raise our utility tax and are now raising just about $10 million every ten years for new parks, last time I counted. That pales in the total cost of the proposed park, just buying it would be about $30 million (from what I've heard).
Yes and no...
Submitted by Thad Curtz on Sat, 08/16/2008 - 4:47pm.It certainly isn't a real vote on what people are willing to pay for a park instead of high rise condos. It is a way for a lot of city voters to sign something more serious than a mere petition in favor of what I think most of them would like down there. (It takes roughly 4,000 signatures, so it's a lot of voters. Also a real crash project.) If it succeeds, the Council will legally have to do the study or run a special election on the initiative (which would probably cost significantly more than the study).
It would also provide some realistic numbers about cost estimates, which still seem to be all over the map in my conversations with people on the Council and others. I assume that the part of the study about seriously exploring getting help from the State, the Feds, the Port, and foundations is probably at least as important as the cost estimates. If your $30 million dollar guess is right, and the City only had to put up half the money itself, its $15 million share would be in the same ball park as the current fire station levy - $12.9 million for two buildings and two trucks, if I remember the details.
Financially, it would also mean the city wasn't committing itself to providing an $11 million tax break to new households. At least - that's just for Triway's own share of the rezone.
Best,
Thad
It's worth a try
Submitted by systematist on Sat, 08/16/2008 - 3:22pm.Im really confused..
Submitted by pmenendez on Sun, 08/17/2008 - 7:48pm.The isthmus proposal is a hot topic with my family right now.
Most of us feel that housing for Olympia residents is perfectly fine in that location. However, we have real issues with the prices we heard about from Tri Vo in The Sitting Duck stating that the condo units were $1.3 million for a single unit. They appear to be for individuals outside of the income ranges specified in the Olympia Comprehensive Plan.
Now, im home recovering from a hit and run that I was the victim of in February and cannot attend any hearings because im disabled right now.
I was reading about the isthmus project on the City of Olympia website, and I read the Olympia Comprehensive Plan, and I start to form some questions in my mind about this proposal. After running them by family members at the dinner table, we decide on a few basic & relevant questions to ask the Mayor and Council members regarding this project and about housing in Olympia.
This is almost 2 weeks ago.
I asked Mayor Mah 2 brief and relevant questions via email. He has yet to reply to a follow up question to his initial response that I sent him a week ago asking him basically to elaborate on what he was saying.
I asked Jeff Kingsbury and Karen Messmer 1 question each, and almost 2 weeks into it, I have not gotten any response.
The last correspondence i have received back from any of the members of the Olympia City Council was from Craig Ottavelli on Monday, which was strange in the sense that it seems to be an attempt to answer the follow up question to Mayor Mah that I never asked Craig in the first place.
What the hell is going on?
And does anyone know how I can get in touch with the members of my City Council?
Try the phone book
Submitted by emmettoconnell on Sun, 08/17/2008 - 8:05pm.You might be surprised what you find.
I don't get it?
Submitted by pmenendez on Sun, 08/17/2008 - 8:40pm.I don't get it?
Is there something wrong with the City's email system?
Doug Mah, especially...
Submitted by Matthew Green on Sun, 08/17/2008 - 9:14pm....seems to have a bad habit of not answering emails he doesn't like.
But I encourage you to take Emmett's suggestion. Call 'em. Seriously. I think they're all in the phone book.
Whoever the person..
Submitted by pmenendez on Sun, 08/17/2008 - 9:30pm.not too excuse...
Submitted by einmaleins on Mon, 08/18/2008 - 10:10am....them, they should respond back, at least with a form letter.
But you do understand that this is an incredible hot-button issue right now and the city council has received hundreds of emails, letters, etc, even almost death-wishes... on that subject.
So I'm not surprised, that they don't respond to you personally.
They do have other things to worry about than a few cursed feet of landfill occupied by empty ugly buildings.
mathias
einmaleins
"Personalized Services & Timely Action"
Submitted by pmenendez on Mon, 08/18/2008 - 10:20am.Olympia City Motto.
SPIRIT - Service, People, Integrity, Results, Innovation, and Team.
Our mission is to improve the quality of life and to enhance the spirit of the community through personalized services, citizen involvement, planning for the future, and a commitment to timely action...
etc..
Look,
Submitted by Matthew Green on Mon, 08/18/2008 - 11:56am.um..
Submitted by pmenendez on Mon, 08/18/2008 - 12:53pm."even almost death-wishes"
Submitted by OlyDowntowner on Tue, 08/19/2008 - 10:42am.For Thad..
Submitted by pmenendez on Mon, 08/18/2008 - 1:48pm.Here is the passage I was telling you about:
Olympia Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 1, Pg 82:
"We now have about 1,600 people living in more than 1,000 dwellings in the Downtown. About two-thirds of them are in the residential enclaves in the Union Avenue and the Jefferson Street sub-areas. Most of the Downtown housing is at or near the low end of the price spectrum. Market studies have found that there continues to be a demand for new housing development in the Downtown, one that can include middle to upper income occupants.."
"if located in areas that offer high amenity (adjacent to parks, Percival Landing, shopping, beautiful streets, and some opportunity for views). Residents in this income range are especially needed to provide balance to the Downtown and to provide a resident clientele for expanded Downtown services and activities. City commitment to community policing downtown will require residents who can provide 18 hour surveillance of streets, parks, and Percival Landing. (Ord. #6195, 07/03/02)."
What I was explaining to you is that "income range", in the Olympia Comprehensive Plan, as stated above, is specific to "Olympia & the Olympia Growth Area". Its the Olympia Income Range. And $1+ million for a single condo unit is outside of that Olympia income range, considering the median income for a family in Olympia is about $55.000.