Design Review Board to consider Briggs Professional Suites proposal in Olympia

A proposal for a new two-story commercial building in the Briggs Village area is going to be reviewed by the Olympia Design Review Board.

The board is scheduled to go over the proposal at a meeting at Olympia City Hall at 5:30 p.m. on June 18.

The project, called Briggs Professional Suites, is being brought forward by M&T Advanced Properties. 

Plans include a two-story commercial building, a parking lot, sidewalks and a future building pad on a nearly 1-acre site at 4510 Maple Lane SE.

According to a staff report, the vacant property has been designated for retail or mixed-use development since the original Briggs Village approval in the early 2000s. The site is located north of Briggs Taphouse, Olympic Pediatric Dentistry and Humble Cow Ice Cream.

The proposal is undergoing conceptual design review, which evaluates major site and architectural elements for consistency with the Briggs Master Plan and Olympia Municipal Code.

City staff found the proposal generally meets applicable design criteria, but several elements were identified for further board review.

Those items include the building’s primary entry orientation, roofline modulation, ground floor façade treatments, pedestrian amenities, parking lot screening and the placement of service elements, such as the waste enclosure.

Staff also noted one public comment expressed concern that the development does not include housing and provides a substantial amount of parking.

Staff stated housing is not required on the site, but acknowledged concerns about the project being car-centered and recommended additional landscaping to better screen parking areas.

Among the recommended conditions of approval are additional landscaping near the waste enclosure and parking lot, screening for utility equipment, architectural renderings for service structures, and the addition of at least two pedestrian amenities.

The board meeting is open to the public, though public testimony will not be taken during the meeting. Written comments may be submitted to city staff before 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting.