LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Concerned citizens ask City of Olympia to stop road through park

Request is to stop construction of a road planned for the LBA Woods

Posted

The time has come for the City of Olympia to Choose.

On February 9th, the Council will vote on a Comprehensive Plan amendment submitted by a grassroots coalition to remove a road planned to be built  through the middle of the LBA Woods. The City’s Comprehensive Plan is allowed to be amended annually. An affirmative vote by the Council will allow the proposed amendment to move forward for a full analysis and a public hearing.

The LBA Woods, a 133-acre park enjoyed by hikers, cyclists and bird watchers in Southeast Olympia is being threatened by the City’s plan to build a  road through it. In response, an outpouring of residents and groups like the Sierra Club have written or spoken to the Council urging them to remove the planned road through the middle of the LBA Woods. The road has been referred to as a “zombie” project because the 800-unit development it was supposed to serve is no longer being built.

The City and the regional transportation agency have been deluged with letters and public testimony from community members opposing the road.

Most express opposition to turning the park and woods into a place where the sights, sounds, and smells of nature are replaced by noise and pollution from automobiles, motorcycles and trucks endangering wildlife and park visitors.

A letter from the South Sound Sierra Club representing over 2,700 members sent to the Olympia City Council states their opposition to existing plans for the Log Cabin Extension Road through the LBA. The letter states, “Olympia residents changed their priorities to value parks and nature over roads.”

Removing the road from the plan is seen as a test of the City of Olympia’s priorities and their commitment to address climate change and support livable communities. Beyond words and policy pronouncements, removing the road from its own plan is the best expression and proof that the Olympia Council is committed to protecting the environment.

The City argues that because a road may someday be needed to avoid “congestion” it should remain in the plan or be reevaluated in 2025 as part of the state-required review of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The advocates to protect the park believe that the longer the road is planned, the more government and private-sector decisions will be made that will make building the road inevitable.

The amendment states that,

  • Building the road ignores climate emission reduction needs.
  • The park, trails and wildlife habitat will be degraded by the road.
  • The value of parks increases as our population grows denser.
  • The park is valuable for carbon sequestration and for wildlife habitat.

For more information visit: https://tinyurl.com/StopTheRoad

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  • AJoytoknow

    Sounds exactly like the increasingly disappointing Oly city council. Selling our public land right out from under us. Might have been different if they had actual connection to the area, but I believe the only connection they have is to wealth. Who knows maybe (hope rings eternal) they will do the right thing this time, but I won't be holding my breath. They all need to be replaced with better humans who care about the environment and community more than they care about rich people who would destroy it for a buck. Shameful!

    Wednesday, May 12, 2021 Report this