Olympia City Council member Clark Gilman challenged the draft capital facilities chapter of the 2045 Comprehensive Plan, saying it does not go far enough in addressing the impacts of transportation infrastructure on greenhouse gas emissions and urban sprawl.
The comment came at a council study session during the 2045 plan update on Tuesday, April 15.
Senior planner Joyce Phillips presented proposed changes to the Capital Facilities Plan, which focuses on integration of climate and environmental stewardship into infrastructure planning, expanding focus on equity and accessibility, including specific language emphasizing access and equitable investment.
Phillips described the proposed updates as improvements over the previous version, which had not been revised since 2014.
The update highlighted strategic infrastructure investments, long-term planning and ensuring accessibility.
Phillips noted that advisory committees — Planning Commission, Utility Advisory, and Social Justice and Equity Commission — provided consistent feedback, particularly around environmental and equity concerns.
However, Gilman said the draft chapter falls short of aligning with the city's climate goals, particularly in terms of how it evaluates transportation-related projects.
The city's climate goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 59% below 2019 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040.
"We have 11 years. We have to cut in half emissions. … I don't think that interest from each of the groups (transportation chapter and CFP) who reviewed this is reflected in the document," Gilman said.
"At this point, vehicle miles travelers are still increasing. The tonnage of our emissions is still increasing, and we can blame it on population increase. But we didn't set out goals on a sliding scale based on population. We set sort of absolute goals for reduction from a baseline."
Gilman inquired whether the CFP chapter could include a policy that deprioritizes projects contributing to urban sprawl or increased emissions.
"Is there a policy that is to give priority — unconsideration — to anything that increases sprawl, creates larger lots, widens roads, increases vehicle miles traveled?" he asked.
"I'm just wondering if there is a way to more actively address that interest in reaching our climate goals by saying that anything that exacerbates our emissions goes to the bottom of the pile."
Susan McLaughlin, Community Planning and Economic Development Director, said Gilman's proposal to deprioritize high-emission projects could be challenging due to various compliance requirements.
She advocated for a complete street approach that ensures every infrastructure project accommodates all users.
She added: "I think there could be stronger language around complete streets. There is probably room for operationalizing that in each of our capital projects."
The city had been working toward a multimodal and complete street model. For Gilman, it was not enough.
"I'm talking about giving up the level of service and street condition standards we have now, even if that risks federal funding," he said.
Council member Dani Madrone suggested the CFP could be improved by stating which projects would not be prioritized.
Referencing Policy 2.2 (E), she highlighted language requiring the city to rework projects that might "result in maladaptation, interfere with environmentally sensitive areas, contribute to hazards, or exacerbate current climate vulnerabilities."
"If something is going to send us down the wrong path in terms of our climate goals, we are going to rework those projects," Madrone told Gilman.
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ConservativeHippie
Gilman - Another appointment that becomes a permanent resident in government.
By the condition of our streets, it seems they are trying to get to zero emissions by breaking our cars.
Wednesday, April 16 Report this
The greenhouse gas emissions argument is largely a throwaway frequently used to pad an otherwise weak argument. Urban sprawl however has ramifications to include utility infrastructure costs and general quality of life impacts. Conservation and wise use of space and limited resources should be top priorities not vague references to social justice and equity.
Wednesday, April 16 Report this
Southsoundguy
Climate change is a scam.
Wednesday, April 16 Report this
johnvaneenwyk
Thank you, Clark! We really appreciate your vigilance on thie systematic undermining of our quality of life. For example, Dani Madrone cites: Referencing Policy 2.2 (E), she highlighted language requiring the city to rework projects that might "result in maladaptation, interfere with environmentally sensitive areas, contribute to hazards, or exacerbate current climate vulnerabilities."
A perfect example is the Hydra-esque constant reappearance of the arterial through LBA Woods. Let’s hope that the following words will support eliminating projects like the arterial through LBA Woods.
"If something is going to send us down the wrong path in terms of our climate goals, we are going to rework those projects," Madrone told Gilman.
Thursday, April 17 Report this
KarenM
Thanks to Clark for speaking up on this. The traditional way of dealing with transportation is not resulting is a shift in how we move around. We need to assign more funding and staff time to actually fixing and installing sidewalks. Street crossings need to be installed so that people can get where they are going. The existing streets should be kept in good repair, but we don't really need to build more streets except where there is new housing or commercial being built. The city has committed to reduce emissions and transportation is one of the largest sources. Time to get serious about making it possible to move around without a car.
Walking is a pretty traditional form of transportation. It has been around longer than cars.
Thursday, April 17 Report this
S2345S23456
Ha ha..."The city's climate goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 59% below 2019 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040." YA RIGHT! Not with all the new housing getting built up and new families moving to the community. There will be more traffic on the road! But I like the goal. Let's strive for it anyway.
Thursday, April 17 Report this
LoopdoGG
What a scam! Ridiculous as the rhetoric of Learjet liberals who really just want to push an absolutely worthless agenda down everyone's throats while acting like their **** doesn't stink. Just like the port of Olympia that wants to micro manage the sanding of boat hulls like it some environmentally hazardous task that they need to closely monitor, all the while they don't recycle derelict vessels that D.N.R dismantles at the marina, they send everything to a landfill and won't allow the public to take non ferrous metals(aluminum, brass, stainless steel) out of their dumpsters to turn in and be recycled. Anyone who claims to be about the environment and doesn't recycle needs to STFU and not lecture about Climate change and emissions. Recycling is the best thing anyone can do for the environment, it reduces the need for strip mining, burning coal, cutting trees, the savings in raw materials that don't need to be removed from the earth in an environmentally destructive process is not a negligible fraction when everyone recycles.
Thursday, April 24 Report this