Alert!! The Olympian Gets it Wrong

OlyEditorial

The Olympian Gets It Wrong — Click to embiggen

ALERT!! On Sunday, February 23, the Olympian ran an editorial with the headline Olympia Can’t Afford To Expand LBA Woods Park.  The Olympian editorial provided a very narrow picture of the LBA Woods Park and grossly distorted the funding picture.  This is a key moment to communicate with Thurston County residents who may know nothing about LBA Woods Park and help them understand why it is Olympia’s next legacy park.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1.       Send a letter to the Olympian editor (click here) and to the City Council (click here).  Include the following messages in your own words:

  • Reference the editorial and that it failed to provide accurate or complete information.
  • The proposed park is NOT JUST TO PROTECT A BEAUTIFUL WOODS AND TRAIL SYSTEM.  It could provide a site for facilities called for in the Olympia Parks Plan to be built long ago:
    • Four rectangular artificial turf sport fields for soccer, football, rugby.
    • An off-leash dog park.
    • BMX park and/or community garden.
    • Mountain biking trails that are accessible to people of all abilities
  • Building 700 – 900 single family homes will increase suburban sprawl and take away the opportunity to recreate and experience nature.
  • Up to half of the $12 million cost may come from state and federal grants.  Once state grant funds are considered, a $6 million -9 million contribution from the City of Olympia for more than 150 acres that can accommodate two community parks, four field sites, a dog park, community garden, a BMX park and in-town mountain biking and hiking is a great bargain! (By comparison, $3 million was spent on the 10-acre Ward Lake parcel.)
  • Share your experience/history of the woods.
  • Include the points identified the letter to the editor above.
  • If you don’t live in the immediate area of LBA, state that. Emphasize that this property is worth going across town for, that you consider it an asset to the entire city and even the entire county.

2.       Be available to attend key City Council meetings.  A large and vocal crowd has a real impact.  We will notify you in advance which key meetings will occur. If you have any questions or ideas please contact us by email.  THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT.  TOGETHER WE CAN CONTINUE TO GATHER THE MOMENTUM NECESSARY TO CREATE THIS LEGACY PARK!