Via The Olympian
The main campus of South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia will see a number of improvements in the coming years.
That’s because on Monday the city’s Hearing Examiner Mark Scheibmeir approved a conditional use permit for the college’s master plan that includes constructing a new 4-story residential housing building, and a pedestrian bridge.
The plan also includes renovations to existing buildings, sports field improvements to the turf, bleachers, lighting and supporting structures. The new residential building will house up to 150 students, and a new pedestrian bridge will make it easier for students to cross Percival Creek, which runs through the campus.
A number of local organizations expressed their support for the expansion, specifically the additional housing and how it will contribute to a larger regional housing effort. At the same time, some area residents worried about increased traffic and noise that will come with construction and more people on campus.
In 2023-24, the college updated its 2019 Campus Master Plan. The update included the addition of newly constructed and acquired facilities, and prioritization of projects across all the college’s campus locations.
The main campus off Mottman Road Southwest lies both in Olympia and Tumwater. However, all the proposed projects are only within Olympia boundaries.
David Schaffert, president and CEO of the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce, submitted a comment on behalf of the chamber in support of the college’s plans. He said the chamber supports efforts taken by SPSCC to update the campus master plan and specifically to include the development of student housing on campus.
“The cost and availability of housing is consistently a top concern and priority for residents in the greater Thurston County region and the city of Olympia as expressed in surveys, polling, and public communication,” he said. “Any effort by entities, such as community colleges, to provide more housing is a positive outcome for the community.”
Schaffert said SPSCC making more housing available for community college students is consistent with the city’s goals, housing action plans and land use policies.
“The approach undertaken by SPSCC will address well documented and identified college and community needs,” Schaffert said.
He said the open green space at the southwest edge of campus along Dr. Nels Hanson Way seems like an ideal place to build student housing.
Schaffert said the chamber believes there’s a strong connection between access to safe and affordable housing and student success. He said they also believe there’s a strong connection between student success and a prepared workforce and overall community prosperity.
Michael Cade, executive director of the Thurston Economic Development Council, said the EDC enthusiastically supports the proposed campus plan. He said as an organization dedicated to fostering economic growth and community development in the county, the EDC believes the plan represents a “significant step forward for both the college and our region.”
“The EDC strongly endorses SPSCC’s efforts to update their campus master plan, with particular emphasis on the inclusion of on-campus student housing,” Cade said. “This initiative aligns perfectly with our mission to promote sustainable economic growth and enhance the quality of life for all residents in Thurston County.”
He said the EDC believes that SPSCC’s approach to providing more housing options for students is a positive and much-needed development for the community.
“The proposed changes in SPSCC’s campus master plan will undoubtedly benefit the students with improved access to education and an enhanced student experience, as well as the greater community in several ways such as economic stimulus, workforce development, traffic reduction, and increased engagement between the college and the local community through events, volunteering and other initiatives,” Cade said.
Tumwater resident Eileen Webb supports the updated master plan and goals to bring affordable housing options to students. However, a few concerns were raised regarding the traffic these projects will bring, and the transportation options on campus.
Although not all dorm residents will have access to cars, those who do would likely use them for daily trips for grocery shopping, Webb said. She said the master plan traffic report limits its focus on impacts related to commuting to and from campus for attending class in its calculations, but they should include these additional daily trips.
Webb said she’d like to see the return of the Intercity Transit bus route through the campus along 29th Avenue Southwest.
“This route was removed during the pandemic. COVID-19 is still around, but the pandemic is over. Perhaps this renewed bus route would be helpful to the new dormitory residents,” she said.
Webb said at a meeting over the summer that community members raised concerns about potential traffic impacts posed by dorm residents “zipping” through the nearby Firland neighborhood, just outside the western gate. She said one solution would be to keep the western gate locked at night, like it was during the pandemic.
Associate Planner Paula Smith said the athletic fields will be renovated later this year and into early January 2026. She said SPSCC is in the process of financing the project. There’s hope that the student housing will be built alongside the new fields, but that project will likely take longer.