It’s the eternal question here at the Weekly Volcano: How do we cover Olympia?

With our home office located in Tacoma and the bulk of our distribution done to the north of the capital city, answering the question can be difficult. While we all agree that Olympia is worthy of coverage, and there’s plenty going on in the eclectic liberal bastion — artistically, musically, and in terms of news — the question remains: If we write about something going on in Olympia, will Tacoma care? Will Tacoma care enough to read about it?



While it’s tough to answer those questions definitively, I tend to think Tacoma will care about Olympia — especially in situations where the two cities face similar issues.



There’s no bigger question in Tacoma these days than what will we become? After years of neglect and being the butt of jokes, Tacoma and all its citizens are facing that dilemma.



Tacoma, in many ways, is like a big, empty canvas. What we create here in the future is up to us. It’s something every Tacoman should care about.



In this regard, Tacoma could learn a few things from Olympia.



Tuesday, June 24, for example, the Olympia Planning Commission met to discuss a proposed plan to raise building-height limits between Budd Inlet and Capitol Lake downtown. The proposed plan is the work of developer Tri Vo and his company Triway Enterprises. Vo, who owns 2.3 acres of the land in question, wants to build a total of 141 high priced condos in two five-to-seven story “mixed use” buildings, which would also contain parking, office and retail space. Vo’s proposal would require rezoning in the area, which would raise the building-height limit to 60-90 feet from the current 35 feet. According to Vo and those who support his 141 condos (which will reportedly cost $1 million a piece), the rezoning is needed to jump start housing in downtown Olympia. That’s what developers say, anyway.



Seems natural to ask, how exactly would 141 million-dollar condos help Olympia? To most anyone who loves our capital city for what it is, and shudders at the idea of shutting out real Olympia residents from living downtown — not to mention thoroughly ruining the waterfront for all but those with enough money to afford a million dollar condo — the idea seems preposterous.



That’s because it is. And that’s the reason 300-plus Olympia residents jam packed Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting to voice their concerns. Tacoma should have been so lucky when the high-rolling condo henchmen moved in to transform our city with dollar signs in their eyes. Passionate community involvement, the kind Olympia is famous for (and the kind that came out in full force last Tuesday), would be well served 30 miles to the north here in Grit City.



“This is not what I envision for Olympia,” says Bonnie Jacobs, who helped found the Friends of the Waterfront organization in 2000, which is currently working to fight the Triway rezoning proposal. “We feel there are many locations downtown that are available and have been zoned for housing. (Vo) bought the land knowing full well it wasn’t zoned for high-rises, but on the isthmus he can get top dollar. His proposal is bigger than any building downtown. It’s massive. We’ve got to do something.”



“The isthmus is precious. This is a community area. I see it as our legacy to protect it,” continues Jacobs. “Our waterfront is the soul of our city.”



That’s the only place Jacobs is mistaken. The soul of Olympia is its citizenry — very few of whom can afford a million dollar condo. Going along with the Triway proposal would be a huge mistake, and the people of Olympia don’t seem ready to let that happen without a fight.

Tacoma should be taking notes.