Council of Neighborhood Associations

May 2025

Council of Neighborhood Associations (CNA)

MEETING MINUTES

April 14, 2025 6:30pm

Attending

Neighborhood Representatives: Larry Dzieza (CNA Chair/Nottingham HOA); Karen Sweeney (CNA Vice-Chair/Eastside NA); Marty Worchester (Redwood Estates HOA); Melissa Allen (Bigelow Highlands NA); Gerald Apple and John Saunders (South Capital NA); Bob Jacobs (Governor Stevens NA); Peter Guttchen (North East NA); Daniel Garcia and Keegan Wulf (Downtown NA); Judy Bardin (North West Olympia NA); Stu Olshevski (South West Olympia NA)

City Representatives: Robert Vanderpool (City Council); Tim Smith (Asst Director, Community Planning and Economic Development); Susan McLaughlin (Director, Community Planning and Economic Development)

Guests: Tina Wagner (Thurston Conservation District)

Overview

The meeting began with Neighborhood Association updates including event planning, 2025 Neighborhood Matching Grant (NMG) applications, and on-going concerns. Robert Vanderpool gave an overview of recent Council activity (see details below). The Thurston Conservation District Community Agriculture Programs coordinator explained her work in support of community gardens and urban agriculture.  The recently hired City of Olympia Director of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) introduced herself. CPED Assistant Director provided updates on several ongoing projects and plans. CNA members discussed next steps for the upcoming housing forum and progress on the City’s Land Use plan.



Neighborhood Association Reports

  • South Capital NA Issues:
    • Capital Blvd speeding (better); lobbyist-owned houses – 17 homes in a two block area are used as lobbyist offices results in parking issues and housing vacant for most of the year; parking permits during Leg session
    • a big neighborhood event in September for which they applied for an NMG.
  • South West Olympia (SWONA):
    • reported on their efforts to increase awareness about their NA
    • their upcoming yard sale June 21 &22.
  • North West Olympia (NWONA):
    • Submitted a grant for the year.
    • Plans to continue their volunteer park and summer fun fest.
  • Nottingham NA:
    • Preparing for an egg hunt.
    • No recent progress on the nearby Habitat for Humanity planned housing development.
  • North East NA:
    • Along with three other neighborhood associations (NAs) that make up the Olympia Northeast Neighborhoods Alliance, submitted a NMG proposal for improvements to the outdoor gathering place at Bethel & San Francisco.
    • Peter Guttchen is working with Roosevelt 5th Graders to create flags for the space.



City Council representative Robert Vanderpool described several issues of interest to CNA: 

  • he Briggs housing development has not attracted the commercial development anticipated in the original plan. Homeowners were assured that commercial services (grocery, child care, etc.) would follow but that has not happened. Changes needed in the plan to attract commerce.
  • The proposed Springwood housing development to be located on land in the NENA neighborhood. This project is in the early stages of planning. Robert is willing to meet with concerned neighbors to hear their perspectives. City Council will have a study session to review the revised Participation chapter of the Comprehensive Plan.
  • The City has sold the site of the old City Hall & Police Department to the Squaxin Tribe. Municipal Court and the Japanese garden (gift from our sister city) will be relocated.  Suggestions for a new garden location will be welcome.
  • Thurston County is planning to build a new Courthouse. City Council is advocating for it to be located within the Olympia City limits.



Thurston Conservation District Urban Agriculture Overview        

Tina Wagner from Thurston Conservation District (TCD) gave an overview of their work supporting community gardens and urban agriculture in Olympia. TCD is a non-regulatory agency focused on voluntary conservation efforts and education. Their programs include South Sound Farmlink to connect landowners with farmers; Farm My Yard to match urban gardeners with available yard space; and support for community gardens. Tina discussed the city’s goal to have every resident within half a mile of a garden space and TCD’s efforts to build gardens in underserved areas. She also mentioned upcoming events and resources available through TCD. The group discussed the scale of urban agriculture, community resilience benefits, and questions about measuring outcomes.



New Director Introduces Community Planning  

Susan McLaughlin, Community Planning and Economic Development Director, introduced herself to the group. She is currently in a fact-finding and listening mode as she gets up to speed on active projects, the Comprehensive Plan, middle housing, and economic development opportunities at the neighborhood scale. Susan emphasized the importance of people shaping cities and expressed interest in exploring Olympia’s neighborhoods. She was drawn to Olympia for its unique challenges, the city’s approach to issues like homelessness, and the city leadership. Susan’s role includes overseeing housing and homeless response teams, focusing on affordable housing and immediate accommodation for the unhoused.

Project Updates and Approvals Discussed

Tim Smith provided updates on various projects:

1) Under review is a shoreline conditional use permit for dock replacement at West Bay Marina, which involves replacing old materials with more environmentally friendly ones and removing covered moorage;

2) The developer’s request to amend the original Briggs Urban Village proposal, which involves zoning code and master plan amendments. The planning commission has recommended changes to the zoning code, including a minimum requirement for the size of a grocer and removing the ratio between commercial and residential. The project is expected to go to the City Council in June;

3) Changes to South Puget Sound Community College campus master plan, which involves improvements to athletic field facilities and the addition of student housing. The project has been approved by the hearing examiner and is now ready for construction permits;

4) Habitat for Humanity housing project, which has been approved by the city and is currently under review for civil engineering permits;

5) Springwood Gardens housing development plan which is currently under review and is expected to take several rounds before it’s ready for a public hearing.



Tim also discussed the need for more consistent updates to the construction map, with the aim of having it updated a couple of times a month. He also mentioned the challenges of determining when projects should be removed from the map.



Affordable Housing Forum Discussion

Tim presented a plan for a housing forum co-hosted by the Council of Neighborhood Association and the city. The forum, scheduled for May 21st, aims to discuss affordable housing issues, share community impacts, and explore potential city and community actions. Staff will provide brief presentations, and the Council of Neighborhood Association will help recruit volunteers and advertise the event. The forum will be structured around three primary questions, and the city will invite representatives from various groups to share their perspectives. The committee discussed the forum’s focus on renters, the city’s role in addressing housing affordability, and the potential impact of neighborhoods on the issue.

Land Use Plan Progress Discussed

Chair Larry D. discussed the progress on the Land Use chapter of the Comprehensive Plan, highlighting that David Ginther had incorporated many of their comments into the document. He also mentioned the concept of missing social infrastructure and the role of neighborhoods in the plan. John Saunders asked for clarification on the current draft of the chapter, and Larry confirmed that it was the staff’s response to their comments. Larry also mentioned the inclusion of public outreach and historic preservation in the plan. Peter Guttchen expressed appreciation for the responsiveness to their comments and the focus on sub-area planning.

Neighborhood Grants

John mentions a recent issue with the grant process and Larry encouraged members to speak at council meetings about the positive impact of neighborhood matching grants. Peter suggests improving the grant process by allowing year-round access to funds.

Minutes

The meeting concluded with approval of minutes and announcements about upcoming events, including an emergency preparedness expo and a presentation by Citizen University in Olympia.

Next steps

• Gerald & John: Meet with city officials at City Hall to discuss parking permit improvements for South Capitol neighborhood

• Housing Team: Prepare and distribute briefing presentations in advance of the May 21st Housing Forum

• Tim/City Staff: Update the construction map at least twice a month to include new development projects and pre-submission conferences

• Larry: Contact Briggs HOA to follow up on neighborhood association formation

• Robert: Review and consider community feedback regarding the Springwood development project

• Larry: Send Tina Wagner’s PowerPoint presentation to Melissa for meeting minutes documentation

• CNA: Lead on event advertising for the Housing Forum

• Tim/City Staff: Work with housing team to ensure renter perspectives are included in Housing Forum planning and presentations

• CNA Members: Consider speaking at council meetings during public comment periods about the value of neighborhood matching grants

• Brittany: Attend next CNA meeting in Tim’s absence and prepare with Larry and Karen beforehand

• All Members: Share information with neighborhoods about the upcoming county emergency preparedness expo in fall

MARCH CNA MINUTES UNANAMOUSLY APPROVED

MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:30PM

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED BY MELISSA ALLEN