...remember how the City Council signed a contract on March 31, 2021 protecting the developer of West Bay Yards from having to comply with changes in regulation for 15 years? West Bay Yards is a shoreline development and, surprise!, just three months later, Olympia updated the program that protects shorelines. The updates won’t apply to West Bay Yards.
…remember how two votes make a majority at the Port of Olympia’s three-member governing Commission? Well, the Chamber of Commerce and other members of the “good ol’ boys club” (yes, women are members too) are nervous that voters might fill two seats on the Commission with people who aren’t members of the club. In hopes of maintaining control, there’s a move to fast-track the process to expand the Commission to 5 members.
…In a victory for the climate and a coalition of community groups, Northwest Innovation Works officially abandoned its fracked gas refinery and pipeline proposal, terminating the company’s lease with the Port of Kalama. A frightening prospect for port commissioners who continue to pursue “economic development” based on fossil fuel and resource extraction.