Should the City of Tumwater pursue a community center in the old Washington State Department of Transportation office on Capitol Boulevard, it will have to address a list of environmental challenges to remediate the site from legacy contamination.
Tumwater city staff delivered an update to the city council on Tuesday, March 25, to talk about initial plans for the site.
The city is also considering the old brewery site and an airport-owned property off Tumwater Boulevard for the community center, but the city’s design consultant, Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture, has signaled preference over the old Department of Transportation (WSDOT) site.
The old office site was developed in the 1930s and was used until 2021, according to City Administrator Lisa Parks.
Potential sources of contamination in the site include an old septic system, an unpermitted landfill, an area designated for vehicle maintenance, a paint booth, and construction material that may contain lead-based paint or asbestos.
There are also several facilities in the site that were used to store coal, fluids and electrical ballasts, which contain legacy chemicals.
The findings are the result of an initial environmental site assessment conducted by the city’s consultants, Haley & Aldrich, who made the discoveries through historical research.
Parks said the consultants will now work with WSDOT’s consultants to divide the work for the next phase of the assessment, which would involve an actual investigation of the site through physical testing and analysis.
She added the work focuses on identifying risks, such as environmental liabilities and construction challenges.
The consultant would ultimately provide the city with a “risk assessment and mitigation summary report” to explain the nature of the contamination and cleanup requirements.
Council member Leatta Dahlhoff asked Parks if the city has the same level of information as the two other sites they are considering for the community center.
Parks said she does not know if they will have the same level of information, largely because of the environmental work already being done for the old WSDOT site.
She said the brewery site lacks public infrastructure and would also need environmental remediation, while the airport site is gopher habitat, making it part of the scope of the city’s habitat conservation plan.
Dahlhoff said she would need the same level of detail for the other two sites to make a well-informed decision, as she is particularly interested in choosing the brewery site for the community center.
“My moonshot goal is for the brewery,” Dahlhoff said. “I don't want the brewery location to be dropped without further discussion of what it really takes to mitigate."
Mayor Debbie Sullivan said all three sites have their own unique challenges and the update for now was just about the old WSDOT site.
Parks also mentioned wanting to meet with city staff for at least two more work sessions to further talk about the location and programming of the community center.
Parks added that staff plans to revise the scope of the contract of Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture so it could provide another alternative layout of the community center to include programming for Senior Services for South Sound, as well as incorporate ideas from council members.
Brian Windrope, executive director of South Sound, which provides services for older adults, was present at the meeting to talk about programs and the need to expand services.
Toward the end of her update, Parks showed a remediation timeline for the old WSDOT site and complete construction of the community center by 2029.
The administrator explained that in redeveloping “brownfield” properties, or abandoned sites that have been made difficult to redevelop by contamination, the cleanup of such properties may be memorialized in a variety of ways.
One option is to accept an agreed order from the state ecology department. Parks said a consent decree is like an agreed order, but is issued by the court and provides the highest level of protection against future risks associated with environmental contamination.
The timeline shows the city securing the consent decree by 2026 and finishing remediation by 2028, so it could complete construction of the facility by 2029.
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PamelaJHanson
That is the WRONG place for a community center. It has an old fuel tank site that should be further investigated due to the Federal Government US EPA "Palermo Well Field Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site" history (that at one point blamed Brewery City Pizza !?) and future. The consultant is from Texas. The old DOT site and the taxpayers would be better served by investigating the site contamination and placing an environmentally cleaned up fueling station, with double to triple walled tanks with warning sensors before the outer wall and have this site be an expansion site for our fire department, medics and law enforcement. With our own filling station, we may also serve the Sheriff's Dept., WSP and other state agencies with lower cost contracted fuel. The consultant and the City is very wrong and irresponsible if they put a community center on the old DOT site. We need law enforcement and the fire department there. (Daughter of a fuel station Super.)
Thursday, March 27 Report this
52237123abc
Has the empty Dart Building on Israel Road been considered. Perfect location and none of the traffic or environmental issues!
Or…..the empty property at the corner of Tumwater Blvd and Capital Blvd. Again…great location and none of the traffic or environmental issues.
Thursday, March 27 Report this
JulesJames
Hoping Councilperson Dahlhoff stays strong pushing for the brewery site. The emotional center of Tumwater is -- and always will be -- Tumwater Falls. Put the Tumwater Community Center adjacent to the center of the community. The cost of demolition of that site will never decrease. Unless subsidized into a no-risk build, any large manufacturer or office developer is going to scrape a field or chainsaw a forest rather than taking on that location. So Tumwater is going to pay for the demolition eventually. Community center activities aren't pedestrian-dependent neighborhood places, so locating it north of the population core isn't a major negative.
Thursday, March 27 Report this
OlyBlues
While the city states they have no money for ongoing maintenance and preservation of the Davis-Meeker Oak Tree, they seem to have endless money for this community center. Quite frankly with the upcoming tariffs on building materials, a likely recession coming, rising inflation, and the Democrats at the leg gunning for every tax increase they can, this is not a good idea for the city to financially obligate themselves to a multi-million dollar new community center right now! The council should be focusing on maintaining city services, employee salaries and benefits, and maintenance of city facilities. The city of Tumwater will easily find themselves in the same position as the state, city of Olympia, and Tumwater school district as a result of reckless spending beyond their means. Terrible idea.
Friday, March 28 Report this