Olympia's Site Plan Committee recommends approval of Martin Way affordable housing, Intercity Transit improvements

Olympia's Site Plan Review Committee has recommended the approval of the land use of two projects - Martin Way affordable housing project at 111 Pattison Street NE and Intercity Transit - South Improvements at 526 Pattison Street SE on October 5.

Martin Way housing project

According to engineering planning examiner Tiffani King, this is phase two of the two-phased project. The first phase was completed in 2021.

Phase 2 includes demolishing an existing single-story building and replacement with a five-story building for a supportive housing unit.

The housing project has a mix of studio and one-bedroom units. It has parking spaces, landscaping, and other associated improvements.

"The recommendation is to approve the land use decision to the [Land Use Review] director with conditions," King said.

Summary of conditions:

• Modify the design based on Design Review Board recommendations memo dated April 28, 2022.
• Add details to the landscaping plan
• Provide a traffic control plan – detailing how traffic will be routed and how it impacts the street system during the construction of the building

"Staff is asking sidewalks remain open for pedestrians unless work is actively taking place in the sidewalk and that sidewalk closures will be limited," King told the developers, Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI).

• Frontage improvement

"The Martin way frontage shall demonstrate compliance with intercity transit and bus stop relocation and shall comply with size placement and sight distance requirement," she added.

• Tree protection – additional information to show on civil plans
• Building construction plans – requesting electrical charging details
• Bicycle parking detail

Intercity Transit improvements

According to King, this project consists of remodeling the existing maintenance building. She said the project also involves demolishing the existing administrative building; an additional 23,800-square-foot covered outdoor storage structure, new parking with landscaping, and other associated improvements.

Summary of conditions:

• Address storm drainage
• Landscaping items that need to be added to the plan
• Building construction – details for parking electrical vehicle charging

King added that the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) requested the applicant, SJC Alliance, to provide an asbestos survey for the project.

She added that the Department of Ecology also provided some conditions regarding possible soil contaminations of the nearby site, solid waste management, and a construction stormwater general permit.