A proposed 228-unit apartment complex on Sleater Kinney Road Northeast is moving forward in the city’s land use review process, according to official notices issued by the City of Olympia.
The project, titled Western Trails, would transform a 19.52-acre site into an eight-building residential community.
Jointly submitted by Rockefeller Acquisitions, LLC and Sage Apartment Development, LLC, the application seeks to consolidate two properties located at 607 and 709 Sleater Kinney Rd. NE.
The plans call for demolishing two existing single-family homes and a detached garage, built in 1929 and 1959, to construct eight three-story, wood-framed residential buildings, an amenity center, a swimming pool, and four detached garage structures. The city estimates indicate the development will house approximately 495 residents and create a net gain of 226 housing units for the local market.
The property is currently zoned RM-18 (Residential Multifamily 18 units/acre) with an urban residential comprehensive plan designation. Although the site was previously bound by a development agreement negotiated under older standards, recent municipal updates to RM-18 regulations bring the new proposal into full compliance with current codes. Consequently, city officials expect the prior development agreement to be dissolved in December 2026 without requiring a replacement contract.
The application was formally deemed complete on Sept. 9, 2026, and the city anticipates issuing a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Determination of Non-significance (DNS). Environmental reviews identified a Category II wetland along the site’s western boundary. Designers plan to maintain the required 140-foot wetland buffer and keep all construction outside the 100-year floodplain.
Site preparation will require approximately 23,000 cubic yards of excavation and 10,000 cubic yards of fill. To manage stormwater runoff, roof drainage will infiltrate on-site, while runoff from parking areas and driveways will undergo treatment through bioretention cells and below-grade detention vaults before releasing at historical flow rates. Total impervious surface coverage will remain capped below the municipal threshold of 65%.
A traffic impact analysis estimates the completed complex will generate 999 new weekday vehicle trips, including 86 trips during the morning peak hour and 98 during the evening peak hour. Proposed roadway improvements include constructing a new mini-roundabout at Sleater Kinney Road NE and 6th Avenue NE, extending 6th Avenue NE westward along the site’s northern edge, adding western frontage sidewalks, and installing a dedicated left-turn lane for emergency vehicle access.
The city has scheduled a virtual public informational meeting for Oct. 7, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. Written public comments regarding environmental impacts must be submitted to Associate Planner Paula Smith by 5 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2026. A public meeting with the city's Design Review Board will follow on Nov. 5, 2026, at 5:30 p.m.
