Fourplex housing project proposed for Cherry Street site

The Olympia Site Plan Review Committee held a second presubmission conference yesterday on  proposed housing to be built at  1602 Cherry Street SE.

Chris Carlson of Hatton Godat Pantier, Inc. presented a reconfigured plan that now has a fourplex instead of a sixplex.

He said the project site has an existing fourplex, carport structures, and a storage building to the north.

The storage building would be partially demolished to accommodate the new housing and parking. The proposed access to the site is through an existing driveway from 16th Avenue SE.

Planning review

Olympia's assistant planner Casey Schaufler advised the applicant to work on the issue on the boundary line. He reminded the applicant that the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services owns the parcel to the north.

"I am bringing that up because it was a note from the previous presubmission conference. Looking at our GIS [Geographic Information System] maps, it looks like the boundary line might be pretty close to the existing building," Schaufler said.

Property owner Pat Berschauer said there was a settlement between the State of Washington and his brother, Steven, on the property line, which moved to approximately 17 feet to the north. He said it was resolved in 2018.

In July, the review committee held a presubmission conference on the same project. The applicant initially submitted a plan to build asix-plexon the parcel.

If built, there would be eight units on the site – four that exist now and plus the four being proposed on the  proposed contiguous lot.  

Schaufler noted that the project was reduced to four units, which means it will go through the staff-level design review. He said a project with five or more units is subject to board-level design review.

Michelle Bentley, the city's urban forester, advised the applicant to retain a forester to do the soil and vegetation report.

"Each parcel needs to meet the minimum tree density," she reminded the applicant. "Your forester will assist you with any tree-protection needs of trees that will be saved - helping identify, review and inspect trees that you might be planting for landscaping."

Jeff Finch, senior building plans examiner, commented that a separate demolition permit is required regarding the storage demolition plan.

He added the site plan needs to show EV (electric vehicle)-charging infrastructure.