The Olympian reported this week that Tumwater is assessing increased fees for a developer’s increased traffic:

“Almost $200,000 in fees will be required to compensate for increased traffic caused by a proposed 375,771-square-foot warehouse development, city officials said.
The development, ProLogis Park, is proposed for 32 acres within the Port of Olympias New Market Industrial Campus south of 76th Avenue and east of Kimmie Street.

The city this week issued a ruling that indicates the project would have no significant environmental effects other than traffic. To mitigate the traffic effects, ProLogis, a Kent-based global warehouse developer, will be required to submit the fees or build road improvements at the two affected Interstate 5 interchanges: Tumwater Boulevard and 93rd Avenue…

The deadline to appeal the ruling is July 10. If no appeals are filed, the ruling will clear the way for the project to move forward to a city hearings examiner for a building permit.

However, residents in the nearby Salmon Creek Neighborhood Association will appeal, group leader E.J. Zita said Friday [June 22].

Zita and other residents have protested the ProLogis project, saying it would bring increased traffic, noise, public-safety hazards and stormwater runoff and would destroy wildlife habitat.

[Ed. Note: These are some of the same arguments used to oppose the massive Wal-Mart Super Center opening in Yelm this month. This writer and others said City of Yelm impact fees on the Wal-Mart project were too low and did not take into account Wal-Mart traffic impacts on future road widening projects that will have to be made just to accommodate Wal-Mart generated traffic. And it’s coming soon!]

The project is one of several potential large warehouse distribution centers under consideration by the city, which has proposed a law to make it tougher to build huge warehouses.”

HMMM! This writer hopes these large warehouse distribution centers will not look to Yelm, whose City Council rolls over and hands the keys to the city to any developer. Luckily for now, we’re too far off I-5 for them. Stay tuned!
With no one challenging incumbents on the Council, a local newspaper that does little investigative journalism into Council actions and a citizenry that does not participate in local government, looks like at least 2 more years of the same old thing – a Council that rubber stamps anything from Yelm’s Community Development Department.

Harsh words?
Yes!
Someone needs to say them.