The City of Olympia is moving forward with plans for an 86-acre community park on Yelm Highway, a move that threatens the future of Spooner Berry Farms. Owner Sue Spooner says the family's 43-year-old roadside stand has been excluded from the latest park designs, despite previous assurances.
From 1983 leases to 86-acre park blueprints
Spooner Berry Farms has operated its Yelm Highway stand for over four decades,having leased the land since 1983.. As the City of Olympia develops its vision for an 86-acre community park on that same stretch of highway, the long-standing business finds itself at odds with municipal planning. According to the report, the family had previously held contracts with the city for eight years and received verbal reassurances from former Olympia parks director Jonathan Turlove that the stand would remain.
Turlove even reportedly joked that the city did not want to be known as "the berry killers," a sentiment that makes the current displacement feel particularly abrupt to the Spooner family. For Sue Spooner, the business is more than a commercial venture; she describes it as a calling that has become a central part of the local community's rhythm.
The clash between 13 pickleball courts and strawberry season
The City of Olympia's current park design features a variety of amenities, including soccer fields, a dog park, basketball courts, and 13 pickleball courts. However, Sue Spooner notes that the latest drawings exclude the berry stand and its parking lot, even though her team found no direct physical conflict with the planned facilities. As the source reported, the city has suggested alternatives such as a small concession stand within the park or a relocation half a mile down the road.
Spooner argues these options are insufficient to maintain the business. The proposed relocation site is on property already sold and scheduled to close in 2028, while a small concession stand cannot match the massive traffic and scale required for the peak June strawberry season. The scale of the current Yelm Highway operation is essential to the farm's ability to function.
A 3-acre buyout offer and the threat of rising prices
To resolve the impasse, Spooner Berry Farms has proposed purchasing two or three acres from the City of Olympia at the same rate the city paid for the larger property. This attempt at a compromise aims to preserve the business's ability to keep berry prices affordable for local families. The report indicates that the current stand serves as the central hub for the farm's operations, and losing this high-volume location could force prices upward.
Beyond the economic impact on consumers, the displacement threatens the stability of employees who have been with the Spooner family for more than 30 years. The loss of the stand would not only affect the farm's bottom line but also the livelihoods of long-term staff members who have grown up alongside the business.
The mystery of the shifted 2018 park vision
While the City of Olympia has offered to meet again to discuss a path forward, several critical questions remain regarding the sudden change in direction . The source notes that the original park plans reportedly included space for the berry stand, yet the most recent versions do not. It remains unclear why the city's vision shifted so significantly after they purchased the land in 2018.
Additionally, the city has not yet accepted the family's offer to buy a small parcel of land, leaving the future of the Yelm Highway landmark in a state of uncertainty. While the city has reached out for further discussion, previous conversations have focused more on the timing of the stand's departure than on finding a way to integrate it into the new park.
Comments 0