GRuB Farmhouse Zoning Case Study

GRuB (Garden-Raised Bounty) was a project with a lot of community support. Local outreach and a history of service to the area were factors that led to this non-profit’s headquarters being located in a Single Family Residence neighborhood with a conditional use permit. Their facility includes a 5-Star Green Built farmhouse, which they use to stage their activities that provide fresh produce and garden beds for low to no-income households in the South Puget Sound area. GRuB Farmhouse was permitted to build a commercially designated building in a single family residence zone in Olympia, WA. This was accomplished by the acquisition of a conditional use permit through the City of Olympia.

Crushed Glass Structural Fill at West Bay Business Park

Crushed glass cullet was used below a sidewalk as fill and leveling agent in place of sand and gravel at 304 West Bay Drive in Olympia, WA. The material is made up of glass otherwise unsuitable for typical glass recycling and is created at a local quarry. Due to knowledgeable building officials and engineering examiners in Olympia, the material proved to meet the IBC compaction requirements with no additional procedures to permit the project. The project was successfully completed and crushed glass cullet proved to be safe and cost effective.

Porous Asphalt at Yauger Park LID Stormwater Facility

The Yauger Park Low Impact Development (LID) Project provides for enhanced water quality treatment, additional storage volume and improvements to the recreational facilities at the City of Olympia’s Yauger Park regional stormwater facility. In this case study, the permeable pavement (porous Asphalt) at the Yauger Park Low Impact Development (LID) Project is examined. Federal funding under the “American Recovery Act” was used to build a demonstration project employing environmentally sensitive Best Management Practices (BMPs). There are several environmental innovations being used at this one site, and permeable pavement is just one.

Hybrid Wetpond/Wetland at Yauger Park LID Stormwater Facility

The Yauger Park Low Impact Development (LID) Project provides for enhanced water quality treatment, additional storage volume and an enhancement to the recreational facilities at the City of Olympia’s Yauger Park regional stormwater facility. This green infrastructure stormwater treatment project includes bioretention areas (Wetland and Wetponds) that harbor native flora and fauna to promote biofiltration. The bioretention areas of wetlands and wet ponds function as educational and recreational purposes for the community. It also functions to innovate Best Management Practices within each other for demonstration for private property owners and municipal jurisdictions.