Downtown Clean Up is a biannual event to get our beloved downtown ready for Arts Walk. Join other O-POP members to help out and spend some COVID-safer, outdoor time together.

This event is organized by the Olympia Downtown Alliance (ODA). Register here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CCTSKZD

Registrants will receive an email from the ODA with information about where to meet the day before the event.

Curbing Traffic Edition

Grab a copy of Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives and travel vicariously to Delft, Netherlands. We need a get-together and a book club is as good a reason as any!

Bring your book (the library has copies) and a mask and we'll gather in the Library's meeting room.

More About the Book

In Curbing Traffic, Melissa and Chris Bruntlett chronicle their experience living in the Netherlands and the benefits that result from treating cars as visitors rather than owners of the road. They weave their personal story with research and interviews with experts and Delft locals to help readers share the experience of living in a city designed for people.

In the planning field, little attention is given to the effects that a “low-car” city can have on the human experience at a psychological and sociological level. Studies are beginning to surface that indicate the impact that external factors—such as sound—can have on our stress and anxiety levels. Or how the systematic dismantling of freedom and autonomy for children and the elderly to travel through their cities is causing isolation and dependency.

Join O-POP and guests Representative Jessica Bateman & Futurewise. They’ll update us on accomplishments of 2021 Legislative session and goals for 2022. Think climate change and housing! And, we’ll build in some social time. After all, it’s been a long time since we gathered.

Part 4 of 4

A Virtual Workshop for the ADU Enthusiast

Join two local contractors to learn about the process of building an ADU. They’ll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of building new, converting an existing structure, and purchasing a prefabricated ADU. And, they’ll share their knowledge of the site constraints that should be factored in, the impacts of existing utilities like sewer and septic, and the process of getting bids and hiring contractors.

Panelists

• Off White | Brand X Design and Construction

• Pete Chramiec | Bicycle Homebuilding

This is part 4 in a four-part series of free Zoom webinars that will answer your basic questions about ADU planning, financing, design, and construction.

The ADU 101 series is sponsored by Olympia Federal Savings (OlyFed) and the South Sound Section, Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Register at Eventbrite

Part 3 of 4

A Virtual Workshop for the ADU Enthusiast

Who’ll be living in your ADU? Will it be you or a family member? Or are you planning to rent it out? Is the way it’s used likely to change over time? These are all questions you’ll need to address before you start planning  your project. Our panelists will discuss these and other design considerations, including  level of finish, value engineering, the challenges of creating a new dwelling on a shared property, and how to think about organizing a small space.

Panelists

• Jason Taellious | Artisans Group

• Matt Hutchins | CAST architecture 

This is part 3  in a four-part series of free Zoom webinars that will answer your basic questions about ADU planning, financing, design, and construction.

The ADU 101 series is sponsored by Olympia Federal Savings (OlyFed) and the South Sound Section, Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association. Photo courtesy of CAST architecture.

Register at Eventbrite

Part 2 of 4

A Virtual Workshop for the ADU Enthusiast

Standard 15- or 30-year mortgages are typically used to finance single-family homes. But when it comes to ADUs, there are other options. A local citizen developer and a lender will discuss some of them,  from home equity loans to other forms of personal credit. You’ll learn about loans that are custom made for ADUs, and how to use a pro forma to forecast income and expenses. 

Panelists

• Lindsey Bamba, AVP District Manager | OlyFed

• Luke Bowerman | Citizen developer

This is part 2 in a four-part series of free Zoom webinars that will answer your basic questions about ADU planning, financing, design, and construction.

The ADU 101 series is sponsored by Olympia Federal Savings (OlyFed) and the South Sound Section, Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association.

Register at Eventbrite

Part 1 of 4

A Virtual Workshop for the ADU Enthusiast

Local governments are making it easier than ever for you to build your own ADU. This workshop will lay out the regulatory steps from concept through completion.  And, you’ll learn about a new series of pre-approved ADU plans that will help streamline your experience even more.

Panelists

• Catherine McCoy | City of Olympia

• Jessica Brandt | City of Lacey

This is part 1 in a four-part series of free Zoom webinars that will answer your basic questions about ADU planning, financing, design, and construction.

The ADU 101 series is sponsored by the South Sound Section, Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association. Photo courtesy of Artisans Group.

Register at Eventbrite

Speak up in favor of diverse housing options! The Olympia Planning Commission will host a virtual public hearing on options to allow more ADUs, duplexes, and triplexes in residential neighborhoods. If passed, the changes will help meet the changing needs of Olympia residents and slow the pace of sprawl into our rural areas.

Register to attend the virtual public hearing here.

Be sure to sign up to speak. You’ll have three minutes to let the Planning Commission know why diverse housing is important to you.

Out of concern for the health and wellbeing of our participants and the larger community, O-POP has decided to postpone this event.

We are excited to share a lot of great information with you and plan to look to some dates in May. In the meantime, if you are interested in giving input on the City's ADU codes, check out this website. Share your thoughts at housingoptions@ci.olympia.wa.us.

We’re sorry for the inconvenience, but ask for your continued support and understanding. Stay healthy, everyone!

Join O-POP for a free half-day workshop outlining the process of building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Learn about:

>> permitting and regulations (including Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater)
>> design and construction
>> financing and property management

Local experts will offer practical information to help you lay the foundations for your own project. This event is free, but seats are limited and registration is required. Register at Eventbrite.

Thanks to our sponsors—OlyFed, the South Sound Section (Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association), and Artisans Group—for their support.

ADU Advocacy

Love ADUs and want to see more of them in Olympia? Learn more about efforts to diversify housing with new codes for ADUs, duplexes, triplexes, and courtyard apartments. Send your supportive comments to housingoptions@ci.olympia.wa.us with a copy to citycouncil@ci.olympia.wa.us.

Join us for a first ever O-POP Book Club! We're reading Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change by Peter Calthorpe. We'll discuss the book, eat snacks, and otherwise hang out.