MATT DRISCOLL: THE FIGHT OVER OLYMPIA'S ISTHMUS KEEPS GOING, AND GOING, AND GOING ... >>>

It’s like a 15 round fight, and we’ve got to be getting near round 11 or 12.

For what seems like forever, Olympia and its impassioned residents have been going back and forth over the fight for the “isthmus” â€" which in reality is just the small patch of land between Budd Inlet and Capital Lake. Some, like Triway Development â€" which owns part of the land in question and has designs on (semi) high-rise condos â€" and Oly2012, a citizen policy analysis group â€" support the idea of high density housing on the isthmus. (Though, Oly 2012 doesn’t necessarily support the proposed Triway condos.)

Others, like State Sen. Karen Fraser of Thurston County and the Olympia Isthmus Park Association â€" chaired by Jerry Reilly â€" want to see a park built on the land in question, and, more importantly, no obstruction of current views.

As you may recall, earlier this year the Olympia City Council voted to raise building height limits on the isthmus â€" a move that seemed design to pave the way for housing on the land. Then, in retaliation, Fraser and her colleagues in the legislature proposed legislation that would have limited height limits on the isthmus and moved to protect the shoreline in question through the state’s Shoreline Management Act. The bills seemed to receive fairly widespread support from lawmakers in Olympia, but eventually failed.

Now, after receiving the results of a study on the feasibility of a park on the isthmus â€" which both sides seem to be attempting to use to their advantage â€" Olympia Mayor Doug Mah has proposed sending a $33 million bond to voters that would raise property taxes to pay for the park. Such a move is likely to happen in November.

And so the fight continues.

“The need to create housing opportunities for all ages and income levels in downtown Olympia remains our highest priority,” said Enid Layes in the latest Oly2012 newsletter, also applauding those who stood up against Fraser’s attempts to force Olympia’s building heights hand.

“The Mayor’s proposal is an important step along the path to realizing the community’s vision of an open, accessible, and integrated public Olympia waterfront,” wrote the Olympia Isthmus Park Association in a recent newsletter of its own.

How will it all play out? Stay tuned. It’s far from over.