Council approves 'the Social' CUP at Olympia site with conditions on sound, parking and a one‑year review

Planning staff presented the conditional use permit for the Social at 1340 Snyder Way, explaining the proposal would convert the former ski chalet into an approximately 47,000‑square‑foot family entertainment complex with an outdoor element including miniature golf, slides, bounce features, an aerial trek course and rooftop events. Staff said the CUP incorporates plan‑commission recommended changes, includes a signed sound study (submitted July 16) and limits continuous noise to a city threshold of 55 decibels at property boundaries; the CUP also contains a one‑year mandatory review after opening to check for policing, noise, lighting or fire‑safety issues.

Developers from Newman Companies described phased buildout and said phase 1 would include about 280 paved stalls plus 120 stalls tied to Snyder Way; they told council temporary staging and limited rooftop programming are planned initially rather than a permanent large stage. Multiple neighbors raised concerns during the public hearing about evening sound levels and rooftop concerts, traffic using private parking lots and lighting spill to adjacent residences. Planning staff and the developer said they will tune the sound system, post signage to deter cut‑through traffic and work with the city to add fall‑back parking or physical controls (bollards) if necessary. After discussion, council approved the CUP by roll call with one dissent (Alderman Welch). "If it's too loud, we're gonna have to turn it down," the developer said when asked about noise mitigation.