Notes from the city

We get periodic updates by email about things going on with the city. Here’s a few recent items:

  • Roadway striping August 6 & 7, August 13 & 14. Streets to get new paint include Boulevard, State, and Fourth, as well as the downtown core. Read more about striping and a complete list of locations.
  • Storm drain grate thefts. Over the last three weeks, approximately 20 storm drain grates and manhole covers have been stolen from city streets. (More information.) Remember that any official work on city streets and sidewalks is done by city crews in marked vehicles.
  • Notice of public hearing. City council will hold a public hearing during its regular meeting on August 15 to receive comments on amendments to the zoning code related to permanent homeless encampments in industrial zoning districts. Read the full notice (PDF).

Traffic Circle: Call to Volunteers

Traffic Circles and Chicanes need volunteers!
We’ve contacted the city to ask for a planting guide, and if you’re interested in helping with maintenance, contact the ENA or Lee Keech. If you are already taking care of a neighborhood traffic calming site, please let us know.

Sent: Thursday, August 4, 2011 7:52 AM
Subject: Maintenance of the traffic circle at Sawyer St and 9th Ave

Thank you for contacting The City of Olympia Public Works and please feel free to contact me with any further questions you may have regarding this issue.
Sincerely
Lee

Lee Keech, [email protected]
Transportation Engineering Designer
Olympia Public Works Department

This email is in response to your email […] requesting the city to maintain the vegetation in the traffic circle located at the intersection of Sawyer Street and 9th Avenue. When these devices were installed an agreement was made with the neighborhood association that maintenance of the vegetation for these devices would be the responsibility of the neighborhood association and/or the adjacent property owners. Because of the current budget constraints and cut backs the city does not have the funding needed to maintain the landscaped devises within the various neighborhoods. If the vegetation cannot be maintained by the neighborhood association and/or the adjacent property owners the city may remove all vegetation and replace them with some form of hardscape which could mean filling the area with concrete or gravel eliminating all vegetation within the traffic circle.

Local Farms Selling Fresh Organic Produce at Convenience Store

As you may have heard, or read in the Olympian, there is a farm-to-market project at the Lucky 7 convenience store located at the corner of 4th Ave. and Eastside St, at the edge of our neighborhood. Now fresh organic produce direct from the farmer is available right nearby on days when the Olympia Farmers Market is not open! 

Left Foot Organics and Rising River Farm are now selling their produce at the Lucky 7 Food Store at 1026 East 4th Ave – CSA shares available as well.  

Left Foot Organics is selling produce from a cooler inside the store on a daily basis and Rising River Farm has started a farm stand that is open on Wednesday’s from 3 pm – 6 pm in the parking lot of the store.  This project is facilitated by Thurston County Public Health and Social Services through
funding provided by the Washington State Department of Health through the Centers for Disease Control’s Communities Putting Prevention to Work program.  For more information contact Lesley Wigen:  [email protected] or 360‐867‐2515.

Great First Cleanup at Fairview Pathway

Five volunteers came out on Sunday, July 24 to clear brush and brambles from the green space next to the pathway on Fairview between 10th and Union. It was hot, but with tenacity and water, we got about halfway through cleaning up underneath the trees. Check out photos of the pathway in progress.

What’s next? We’ll have another clean-up event the weekend of August 13, either in the morning before the Eastside Picnic, or on Sunday afternoon. If those times aren’t convenient for you, and you want to help, we encourage you to drop by and cut back blackberry or pull ivy. Before you start, you’ll need to get instructions and sign a liability waiver! Download the Public Pathways Waiver (PDF) and contact [email protected]. You can either send the signed waiver as an image by email or mail the paper to PO Box 7666, Olympia WA 98506.

As the green space is cleared and we discover what it looks like underneath, we’ll be working on a plan for a low-maintenance pocket park. Watch the website or subscribe to our email newsletter for updates.

Madison Playground Replacement Project

We really need some help and support from the neighborhood folks in preparation work for the new Madison Elementary playground! If you can spare a couple of hours, please, join us at Madison on Saturday, July 23rd, 9am to 1pm. We will continue lifting out remaining bark chips, take apart the last old playtoy and few other small, but necessary tasks. Hope to see you there!