By Rolf Boone
The Olympian
You might say the city of Tumwater and the owner of the former Olympia Brewing Co. have come to terms on an agreement to fix, cleanup and secure the site just in time.
That’s because the property south of Custer Way was vandalized late Monday after some vandals, reportedly trying to recover copper wire from a transformer along Boston Street, damaged it to the extent that it leaked a petroleum-based product. And that leak eventually found its way to the Deschutes River, Tumwater spokeswoman Ann Cook said Tuesday.
City and state Department of Ecology crews responded to the spill, as well as a contractor, she said. The source of the leak is now controlled, although Cook didn’t have information on the size of the leak.
The recent vandalism was another reminder of the crumbling state of the 1 million square feet of brewery property south of Custer Way.
“It underscores the need to secure the property,” Cook said.
The brewery closed in June 2003 and has remained unused ever since. In December 2015, the property was sold to Tumwater Development LLC, whose primary member is Chandulal Patel, a developer who is thought to split his time between India and California.
The vacant brewery’s problems were magnified in October after a major fire destroyed a building along Custer Way.
Later, a day after Tumwater Mayor Pete Kmet told a Thurston County Chamber of Commerce audience that the owner was facing “economic sanctions,” a second, smaller fire, damaged another building on the property.
True to its word, the city fined the owner for city code and building violations that total $78,500.
However, the city and owner signed off on a voluntary correction agreement this month that spells out work and deadlines that must be met to fix, cleanup and secure the property. Meanwhile, the fines are on hold. If the deadlines are not met, the fines will begin to accrue again, Cook said.
Some of the city’s requirements:
• By March 20: Provide safeguards for the entire site, including installing or repairing fencing.
• By March 20: Provide 24-hour security, seven days a week, that also patrols the grounds.
• By April 1: Mow grass, prune shrubs and trees.
• By April 1: Protect all buildings from the elements.
• By April 1: Certify that the fire-damaged building on Custer Way is structurally safe.
