Even if the funding for a park doesn't currently exist, that is no reason to deny the eventual opportunity to build a park. I believe that a park on the Isthmus is feasible. Why? Well, most importantly, I think that the residents and future residents of Olympia need a park. Why do we need a park?

We need a park on the Isthmus because

via email:

Join Volunteers from all over Olympia Saturday, September 27 from 9-noon. We’ll be removing ivy and holly in our last No Ivy Day of the year! Tools, gloves and refreshments will be provided. Meet at the Rose Garden parking lot and dress for the weather.

All are welcome, but those 17 and under must have signed parental permission, 14 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Questions? Contact Olympia Volunteers in Parks (VIP) Coordinator Todd Smith at 753-8365.

Percival Landing Panorama

This image is composed of 13 individual photographs.

More than 4400 Olympia voters have signed the Capitol Park Foundation Initiative, well over the required number. Friends of the Waterfront and others will continue to gather signatures until Thursday, when the signatures will be submitted to the city. The last time a successful initiative petition drive happened in Olympia was over a half a century ago in 1955, when citizens rose up to block the logging off of the Olympia Watershed and to create, instead, Watershed Park.

Given how rare an occurrence a successful initiative is in the City of Olympia, I'm surprised the Olympian hasn't reported on this.  4400 is a lot of naysayers!

Former Governors Speak Out:

20/20 Vision Olympia

I picked up a copy of the Olympia Isthmus Park News. It has an article about the initiative petition drive. I am going to transcribe it here (with emphasis added):

The Olympia Capitol Park Foundation has taken the lead in organizing an Initiative Petition campaign to ask the City Council to take a serious look, for the first time, at the feasibility of developing a large part of the Isthmus between Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet into an extension of Heritage Park.

The Initiative drive grew out of the concerns of six former Olympia Planning Commissioners about the proposed increase in the height limitations for buildings on the Isthmus, from 35 feet to 90 feet.

While the former commissioners believe that such a re-zone should not be permitted, they also believe that instead of polarizing the community every five years or so with a divisive debate over the height limits, it is time to seriously look for a better vision for Olympia. They hope that instead of just being against the change, people are ready to support transforming this spectacular site into a great public space.

Public response has been overwhelmingly positive. Over 80% of the people approached about signing the petition have done so.

The Port of Tacoma has bought a 745 acre parcel of Rocky Prairie land located right in the middle of a sensitive area with Millersylvania State Park less than half a mile to the north and a state fish and wildlife reserve bordering it on the south. For 15 years, the state park and the wildlife dept have had their eye on this property, which, in combination with the neighboring McIntosh forest reserve, would create an amazing wildlife corridor and preserve several threatened native species. But the Port of Tacoma outbid them and wants to build a huge truck and train freight transfer station and possibly a solid waste transfer site (hauling garbage from all over the region) right in the middle of this precious swatch of undeveloped land.

If you have further questions please check out www.FriendsOfRockyPrairie.com or email forprairie@hotmail.com.