TRPC backs removal of Log Cabin Road project from regional plan 

Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) members are in agreement about removing the proposed Log Cabin Road extension from its long-range transportation plan, a project that has lacked support from the City of Olympia.  

The decision followed a discussion on Friday, June 6, with several TRPC members weighing in on the decades-old proposal to extend Log Cabin Road through southeast Olympia's LBA (Little Baseball Association) Woods.  

TRPC Transportation Manager Katrina Van Every presented an overview of the draft Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), which sets priorities and funding forecasts over 25 years.  

She discussed the public engagement process held from April 11 to May 9. Of the 279 public comments received, an overwhelming 227, or 81%, focused on the Log Cabin Road connection, reflecting strong community interest.  

Olympia Council member Dani Madrone, who served on the TRPC, recalled the city's 2021 decision to remove the Log Cabin Road extension project from its comprehensive plan.

Instead, the city committed to a future study to reassess transportation needs in the area around 2030.

"We decide not to preempt the outcome of a study by having a project in our plan to begin with," Madrone said.

She said the move reflected Olympia's broader climate and active transportation goals, and the hope that future behavior changes might render the road unnecessary.  

Olympia's position received strong public backing. Maria Ruth, a southeast Olympia resident and longtime LBA Woods steward, told the TRPC the project was inaccurately listed in the RTP as a city-sponsored project.

"It is not in the comprehensive plan. It is not sponsored by the City of Olympia. Currently, it is a study," Ruth said.

Larry Dzieza pointed to Olympia's Ordinance 7301, passed in 2021, which removed the road project and replaced it with a study.

"The TRPC should correct the error, remove it and its references from its maps and plans," he said.

Study the plan first 

Thurston County Commissioner Carolina Mejia, a TRPC member, emphasized the county's focus on the need for a future transportation study rather than the Log Cabin Road extension itself.

"What the county is advocating for is not the Log Cabin piece. We are more interested in the study piece," she said.

She noted Yelm Highway, a key corridor in southeast Olympia, was originally developed based on a 2012 connectivity study that assumed the Log Cabin Road connection would eventually be built.

With Olympia's change in direction, Mejia stressed that the study must be prioritized.

"Yelm Highway cannot absorb increased traffic on its own," she said. "We don't mind where the study is placed in the plan, but it has to be a priority — and it has to be done. "

Lacey Council member Robin Vazques, who serves as TRPC chair, initially expressed reservations about removing the Log Cabin Road project from the RTP. She emphasized the regional implications of transportation connectivity and the investments already made by Lacey in the corridor.  

However, as the discussion progressed, Vazquez's perspective evolved. She recognized that Olympia, as the original project sponsor, should have the authority to remove the project.

Acknowledging that community needs and priorities change over time, she was persuaded by the arguments for removal.  

"Lacey made good on our end of the deal when the plan was developed many years ago. We invested a lot of money in our portion of that corridor," she said.

"We have a big, nice road that can move people smoothly through our portion. The plan was to go through LBA Woods."

However, she ultimately shifted her position, acknowledging Olympia's right to withdraw as the project sponsor.

"Things change, and the needs of the community change. I'm shifting to a thumbs up," said Vasquez, on the condition the connectivity study remains in the plan to address future transportation needs in the area.  

Madrone said the next five years will be crucial for understanding regional growth and development patterns. She maintained the city's long-term goal is to support sustainable development by concentrating housing in areas with public transit access, reducing reliance on new roadways like Log Cabin.  

"If a study says something is needed there, we can look at alternatives. If it says it's not needed at all, we'd have to figure out how to replace that funding with parks funding," Madrone explained.

"There are many ways to move forward depending on what the study finds. We just don't want a predetermined outcome." 

Van Every said removing the Log Cabin Road project from the RTP would not change the timeline.

"Log Cabin is not a priority for Olympia. If it came out and came back in later (in the RTP), it would just reflect what projects are slated to be completed within the 25 years. Right now, based on Olympia's planning documents, the project is not earmarked for completion at any time," Van Every said.

Van Every added that removing the Log Cabin Road project from the RTP would also trigger technical adjustments to the plan's financial and modeling components.  

"If this project is pulled, that's fine — it's your discretion. But it will affect our financial forecast. We'll essentially have more money at the end of the 25-year period since the project won't be constructed," Van Every said.

"However, it also means we'll need to update our transportation model, which could impact future congestion or level-of-service maps that assume all RTP projects are built." 

The draft RTP will be presented to the Transportation Policy Board on Wednesday, June 11. Members are expected to make a recommendation.