Olympia committee reviews proposed residential development on 8th Avenue and Adams Street

On Wednesday, the Olympia Site Plan Review Committee held a presubmission conference on a proposed 35-unit residential development on 8th and Adams Street, directly across the street from Olympia Timberland Library.

The narrative submitted to the committee offered a brief overview of the project, comprising a mix of studios, one-bedroom alcoves, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units.

The ground floor features two living units, a residential lobby, service spaces, and covered parking, while the second to the fourth floors will be comprised of the residential units, and the fifth floor will include a small interior lounge and an open roof deck to fulfill the open space requirement.

The entry and parking access will be located on 8th Ave, while waste collection will be off the alley to the north of the site. The total gross square footage of the development is approximately 28,000 SF.

The project underwent a presubmission hearing last year. The committee is reviewing the same development plan but a bigger project.

Planning and engineering review

Olympia Associate Planner Paula Smith advises the project applicant to address the seeming encroachment over the property line of the adjacent …

Olympia Associate Planner Paula Smith advised project applicant Donnie Hull of Thomas Architecture Studios to address the seeming encroachment over the property line of the adjacent fourplex structure.

If the survey finds some encroachment, Smith advised the developer to resolve the issue by moving the line or by granting an easement or access to other property owners.

With the city's recent parking code changes, Smith told the developer that it would affect the long-term bicycle requirements. Before the parking code amendment, studio apartments did not require long-term bicycle parking spaces.

"It has changed now. Any form of multifamily housing would require a long-term bicycle stall," Smith explained. She suggested putting a storage room for all those studios and including a designated area for bicycle stalls in the design.

Regarding the design review, Smith required the developer to submit an updated shade review, given that the building has increased in size. She said the update will help them assess whether the fourth floor needs to be adjusted for shade and privacy concerns, especially since the building will be constructed around the fourplex northeast of the site.

As for the transportation, Zulaika Kim, engineering plan examiner, noted that the project is located in the downtown area and requires complete frontage improvement. She told the developer they needed to adhere to the commercial collector standard.

To comply with the commercial collector standard, Assistant City Engineer Steve Sperr told the developer that a 10-foot sidewalk must extend from the face of the curb. Additionally, one foot beyond the backside of the sidewalk should be within the right-of-way. "If you can't fit all that 11 feet into the right-of-way, you have to dedicate additional right-of-way [to be figured out on both sides]."

In the pavement condition index, Kim informed the developer that 8th Avenue is currently at 32 and needs a half-street reconstruction. Adams Street is at 51 and requires a half overlay.