Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Olympia Design Review Board approved detailed designs for a 58-unit multifamily apartment project on Thursday, Nov. 14, following revisions that addressed concerns about massing, open space, and tree protection.
The unanimous decision allows The Cottage Apartments, developed by Glenn Wells Architects, to move forward.
The project is at 414 and 422 Franz Anderson Road SE and includes 70 parking spaces. The site is within Olympia's High-Density Corridor (HDC-4) which supports urban residential development along major transit routes.
The project faced scrutiny over handling tree protection zones, open space placement, and soundproofing.
Revised south elevation plans for The Cottage Apartments show design improvements such as roofline adjustments and massing changes to better integrate with the surrounding area.
JOLT STAFF PHOTO VIA ZOOM
The board had requested changes for the development to be blended more harmoniously with the surrounding neighborhood, which includes single-family homes.
Associate Planner Lydia Moorehead highlighted the alterations made since the last review.
“The board had asked the applicant to provide additional methods to step down the massing on the south end of the west elevation for Building A, and you can see here the blue area circles that southern portion of the west elevation and the difference between concept and detail,” she said.
“The applicant has changed the proposed roof form along the southern portion of the west façade so that the hip roof is carried around the corner of the south side, reducing the height of the wall by 11 feet.” she added.
Additional adjustments included a two-story bump-out and the relocation of a trellis to the ground floor.
Project architect Glenn Wells said added “residential scale and character.” The changes also included screening for the parking structure and fencing along the property line to minimize visual impact on neighboring properties.
Board members expressed support for the revisions and noted that the changes enhanced the building's overall appearance. They also remarked that the design now feels more residential and harmonizes better with the surrounding area.
Associate Planner Lydia Moorehead presents the site plan for The Cottage Apartments during the November 14, 2024, Olympia Design Review Board meeting.
JOLT STAFF PHOTO VIA ZOOM
The placement of outdoor open space remained a contentious issue.
While the applicant initially proposed indoor lounge areas to satisfy open space requirements, the board had requested outdoor amenities such as a rooftop terrace or a picnic area near the soil and vegetation protection area (SVPA).
“The applicant provided a picnic area with a grill and seating,” Moorehead explained. “While the location is not ideal, it does technically meet our minimum dimension and grade standards.”
In response, Wells defended the choice by citing site constraints.
“Our tree track area is so tight it would have required us to move the stairway and impact the tree track, so we couldn’t physically do it,” Wells said.
He also emphasized that the design team had worked to balance site constraints with regulatory requirements. “Honestly, we don’t have a lot of wiggle room.”
Board members accepted the explanation while recognizing the constraints and noted that while the solution wasn’t ideal, it was a reasonable compromise given the site’s limitations.
Under Olympia’s forestry standards, the SVPA must remain fenced and closed off to residents, a rule that some board members viewed as a missed opportunity for community use.
Board members raised concerns about the strict limitations, seeking clarification on whether an SVPA area could include features like picnic tables or chairs.
Moorehead confirmed the restrictions and explained that urban forestry standards prohibit public access to preserve tree health.
Wells expressed his own frustrations with the rule.
“It varies from municipality to municipality, and like, for example, in Tumwater, they encourage... picnic tables and a passive use of the tree track. But in Olympia… they don’t want people entering it, so they require us to fence it,” Well shared.
Several board members expressed regret over the underutilization of the space but stopped short of recommending changes.
Interiors of lounges and fitness spaces, proposed as part of The Cottage Apartments, were revealed as examples during the November 14, 2024 Olympia Design Review Board meeting.
JOLT STAFF PHOTO VIA ZOOM
In addition to addressing massing and open space, the board explored the project’s soundproofing measures with a focus on noise isolation between units.
Wells provided a detailed explanation of the design approach.
“We use an inch-and-a-half JIFF Creek layer and additional insulation in the joist cavities,” Wells said. “These measures significantly reduce noise transfer between floors.” he added.
Board members praised the focus on acoustic details and commended the design enhancements, including the use of varied cladding materials and hipped rooflines.
They also noted that the changes provided a refreshing break from standard designs.
Following a detailed discussion, the board unanimously approved the detailed design after confirming that the project met the conditions outlined during earlier reviews.
The design now includes features such as improved massing, better integration with the neighborhood, and enhanced outdoor amenities.
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We talk about affordability, protecting the environment and encouraging development in our community. It is often difficult to discuss this with people who haven't directly experienced it for themselves. For me, this one story simplifies our challenges as a community to accomplish the goals of more affordability, density and accommodating growth.
Olympia's approach to urban forestry and requiring an SVPA that often necessitates hiring a professional forestry consultant for new development (single family to multifamily) offers another hint as to why we are where we are with housing.
In this case, it is even more interesting since the requirement of allocating and maintaining a tree tract should also be fenced off and unavailable to the public. Another demonstration of some well intentioned, but impractical, public policy that even Olympia's Design Review Board chokes on.
I'm all for protecting trees and the environment, I guess even if that involves 2nd, 3rd of 4th growth trees bordering the I-5 corridor and adds cost to all new construction. We should definitely focus on the old growth timber along I-5 and within the City.
Apologies for the sarcasm. This requirement needs to be modified for basic reasonability.
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