Recycling Act passed
The bill promoting recycling in the legislature, SB 5284, mentioned in our March issue, was signed into law on May 17 and goes into effect July 27, 2025. The bill will require producers to manage their materials from design to end-of-life,ensuring responsible planning and funding to mitigate environmental impacts. It also mandates the development of statewide collection lists for recyclable and compostable materials and emphasizes the importance of equity in service availability.
Intercity Transit labor contract finalized
Intercity Transit and ATU transit workers approved a new contract that was in negotiation since November, 2024. The workers received public support for their demand for a living wage. (See article in April’s WIP The contract includes a general wage increase, longevity pay, additional paid leave, a family and wellness allowance and increased contribution plans for deferred compensation. The contract won overwhelming support from the workers with 196 voting for and only two against.
Springwood Development
Our April issue included an article about the Springwood development housing proposal in northeast Olympia that drew considerable neighborhood opposition. The City of Olympia has returned the application to the proponent for revision. The applicant will have six months to submit revised documents.
The Engineering Division’s review of the application primarily asked for revisions relating to drainage, noting that the current proposal would discharge directly into a wetland. It noted that offsite drainage would impact about 7 acres, not the 3.29 acres claimed in the proposal. It also noted that there was no evidence provided that infiltration ponds would work as planned, especially as evidence of high groundwater was present at the proposed location. “The four test pits near the proposed infiltration pond all show essentially zero infiltration.”
City engineers also requested more information about how stormwater runoff would be managed, as parts of the stormwater site management plan were not consistent with the drainage report. Other issues to address are frontage improvements, safe walking routes to school, street lighting and traffic.
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