By Daniel
Only four years after its opening, the City of Olympia closed downtown’s Artesian Commons Park “indefinitely,” according to a August 24 press release.
A chain link fence appeared before dawn that day, surrounding the main square and a section of sidewalk north of The Pet Works. The well itself and the 24/7 restroom remain open.
Reached via email, Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Director Paul Simmons said, “Following multiple threats that were both specific nature and targeted towards our Park Rangers and Well Hosts, I made the recommendation to members of the City’s Executive Management Team to close the park because we no longer had the ability to maintain it safely.”
City Manager Steve Hall — head of the executive management team — did not respond to a request for comment.
When the park was open, patrons gathered around the square’s tables, often under the watchful eyes of Park Rangers. In the summer a sometimes-rowdy crowd regularly hung out next to Pet Works in the spot now sealed by chain-link fence.
“Those people who were trespassed from the public park for criminal and/or violent behavior simply continued that behavior on the public sidewalk next to the park,” said Simmons. He noted that “over its four-year existence, 51 people were trespassed from the Artesian Commons, and police were called nearly 1,400 times because of things directly attributed to the park.”
A march of around 100 people on Sep. 11 demanded the well be reopened as part of a package of demands surrounding houselesness.
The city built the park in 2014 as an extension of the well, which is the only publicly accessible artesian well out of the twenty that lie downtown.
In 2014 and 2016, the city contracted with consultant and Evergreen alum Adam Fletcher, who held a series of “Youth Forums” to gather feedback from park patrons. Fletcher’s report notes that “Particular groups of youth (e.g. homeless, runaway, and other historically disengaged populations) are perceived as a challenge to the success of the Artesian Commons Park.”
Although Fletcher insisted that his relationship to the park is as consultant rather than public figure, he expressed frustration with the City’s press release and positioning of the decision behind parks director Simmons.
“Shouldn’t the city council members be held accountable, and not the guy hired to do the job?” asked Fletcher. “It’s almost like they’re propping him up to be the bad guy and not supporting him.”
Out of seven city council members, only Clark Gilman responded to a request for comment. “Council is not part of operational details, we set policy,” said Gilman.
In November 2016, the park received international attention of the Worldstar variety after five people were arrested for brawling in the park, continuing to brawl even after Olympia Police Department (OPD) officers arrived.
The park is visible from OPD headquarters in the city hall building. When asked via email if the inability to make the park safe was a failure of the OPD, chief Ronnie Roberts said, “The individuals with the behavior you are referring too [sic] are to blame.”
When asked how he would move forward if the city hired him again, Fletcher urged for the city to listen to park patrons.
“The most important part is about having participatory processes that engage the people who use the space,” he said. “It needs to focus on building real democratic opportunities.”
“If people are really upset about the park, they should let their elected officials know.”
