What's next for the Artesian Commons?

What's happening?

The City of Olympia is gathering community input on the future of the Artesian Commons, the site adjacent to the Artesian Well at 415 4th Ave SE. The Artesian Well is a protected drinking water source, and the City wants to hear from residents before Council discusses possible next steps for the surrounding site.

Background

The Artesian Commons opened as a small park in 2014 around the Artesian Well, which has provided free public drinking water in downtown Olympia for generations. Due to ongoing safety concerns, the City closed the park in 2018. The well itself has remained open and accessible to the public throughout the closure.

City staff have held focus group conversations this summer to hear directly from community members about what worked, what didn't, and what people would like to see at the site going forward. That input, along with the history of the site, is shaping the questions in the survey below.

Any future changes to the site must account for the well's protections. State rules prohibit contamination sources within 100 feet of the well, and if the well is ever damaged, state agencies have said it will be capped rather than repaired or rebuilt.

Share your input

The City wants to hear from you, whether or not you've used the Artesian Commons before. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey below and share your priorities for the site.

Results will be shared with the Olympia City Council at a study session on September 22, 2026, to help inform Council's discussion of next steps for the site.

Survey closes September 7, 2026.