Morgan Smith

City Manager

• Reduce the amount of road maintenance activities, 
• Seek new revenue sources to replace the TBF car-tab revenue, or
• Divert City funds from other programs and services to fund this work

 

In October, the City Council decided to extend the City's Housing Design Demonstration Projects (HDDP) program, set to expire Dec. 31, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2021 and to remove a requirement that HDDP projects must be 100% affordable. The proposed changes (Ordinance 2019-32) were then referred to the Planning Commission for a recommendation.

 

During the Nov. 7 public hearing, the Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of Ordinance 2019-32. Additionally, the Commission recommends that Council direct the Planning Commission and staff to draft an interim affordable housing ordinance that includes density incentives to promote affordable housing and green building.

 

Currently, the HDDP program (BIMC 2.16.020.S) promotes development of green residential housing projects to provide a greater diversity of housing options and affordability while utilizing progressive sustainable development practices. The HDDP program is only available within the Winslow Study Area of the Winslow Master Plan and the Winslow Sanitary Sewer System Service Area. 

 

The HDDP program includes a three-tier structure that pegs incentives to higher levels of green building, sustainable development, and housing diversity. Tier 2 HDDP development projects must integrate 10% of units as affordable housing, and Tier 3 HDDP development projects require at least 50% of units to be designated as affordable housing. The three tiers of the HDDP program have been in place since the program's inception in 2009. The decision to limit projects to those with 100% in affordable housing was added in 2018 while the City was in the process of updating its subdivision design standards.

 

The Council's changes to the HDDP program are proposed to support the selected site plan for the affordable housing project the City intends to develop at the Suzuki site, a 14-acre property at the intersection of New Brooklyn and Sportsman Club Road. The ability to move forward with 100 units on the Suzuki property is dependent on the project's HDDP Tier 3 eligibility, which would allow additional development above base zoning.

 The City Council, which will have final approval of Ordinance 2019-32, will discuss this topic during the Nov. 26 business meeting.

 

In addition, Council will discuss the Suzuki project and potential options to revise the number and type of housing units during the Nov. 19 study session. 

The Winslow Hotel project applicant has withdrawn project revisions that required a new public comment period and Planning Commission public meeting.

On Oct. 9, the applicant submitted a revision to the site plan and design review and conditional use permit applications to add 11 employee housing units, increase a vegetative buffer along the east side of the project and add an additional 11 parking spaces. On Monday, Nov. 4, the applicant requested to withdraw the revisions and move forward with the prior proposal.

The  Winslow Hotel project proposal, located at 251 Winslow Way W, includes an 87-room hotel with banquet and meeting rooms, restaurant and bar, and spa. There is a landscaped courtyard, reflecting pond and bandshell, and both under-building and surface parking totaling 136 spaces.

In July, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended denial of the Major Conditional Use Permit (CUP) and Major Site Plan and Design Review (SPR) for the Winslow Hotel project due, in part, to conflicts with the City's Comprehensive Plan and Winslow Master Plan goals and policies.

The application materials, staff report, and the recommendation of the Planning Commission will be reviewed by Planning & Community Development Director Heather Wright for a recommendation. The project proposal also requires a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) threshold determination before going to the  Hearing Examiner for a final decision. The hearing date will be shared once it's scheduled.

The public comment period for the Oct. 9 proposed revisions is now closed due to the applicant's withdrawal. The City will not be considering the Oct. 9 proposed revisions in its final review.

Many cities and counties in Washington State have adopted a Hearing Examiner system to allow for objective decisions on certain types of land use matters.

On Bainbridge Island, the Hearing Examiner is appointed by the City Manager and confirmed by the City Council. Once confirmed by Council, the Hearing Examiner serves for a two-year term and may be reappointed to additional two-year terms by the City Manager and the City Council. The duties of the Hearing Examiner are outlined in the City Code and include conducting public hearings involving a variety of complex land use matters, including appeals of land use decisions and decisions on some types of land use applications. The purpose of the hearing is to review a proposed project for consistency with the City Code, appropriate elements of the Comprehensive Plan, and all other applicable law, and to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the project and its compliance.

Projects that require a hearing include major conditional use permits, variances, reasonable use exceptions, and long subdivisions (more than four lots). See the summary table of land use procedures ( BIMC 2.16.010-1 ) for a full list of matters that are decided by, or may be appealed to, the Hearing Examiner.

The Hearing Examiner generally may approve, approve with conditions, deny, or remand an application. When deciding, the Hearing Examiner will consider the applicable decision criteria of the code, all other applicable laws, recommendations of the Planning Commission and Design Review Board, testimony presented at the hearing, and any necessary documents and approvals.

The Hearing Examiner provides a written finding within 10 working days of the public hearing, unless a longer period is agreed upon by the Hearing Examiner and the applicant or appellant. The Hearing Examiner is the final decision of the City, unless a matter involves shoreline conditional uses or shoreline variances. In those shoreline cases, final decisions are made by the Washington State Department of Ecology.

The most recent Hearing Examiner's decision in April 2019 involved a proposal for a single-family home on a vacant lot encumbered by wetlands. We anticipate the next hearing will be for the Winslow Hotel project proposal, but the date is pending.

The City's Hearing Examiner services are currently provided by Sound Law Center, which was chosen through a request for proposals (RFP) process that took place in 2017. The current contract with Sound Law Center was approved by Council and was executed by the City Manager and Sound Law Center on Dec. 14, 2017, and came into effect Jan. 1, 2018. It is set to expire Dec. 31, 2019. On November 12, 2019, the City Council will consider extending the contract with Sound Law Center for a new two-year term through Dec. 31, 2021.  

All Hearing Examiner hearings are held in the Council Chamber at City Hall and are noticed through the public notice requirements, including (but not limited to) e-mail, publishing in the newspaper of record, and posting a sign on the property. All hearings are audio recorded and posted to the City's website.

Kitsap County recently passed an ordinance to limit the distribution of single-use plastic carryout bags to reduce pollution created by the product. According to Kitsap County, Washingtonians use more than two billion single-use plastic bags each year. Kitsap County alone uses approximately 87 million plastic bags annually and only 12% are recycled. The County is now charging an eight-cent fee for paper bags. In 2012, the City of Bainbridge Island passed a similar ordinance, but with a five-cent fee.

 

The eight-cent fee is retained by the retailer and is meant to offset the cost of bags and other costs related to the pass-through charge.

 

The Council will consider the three-cent increase during the Nov. 12 business meeting.

We're looking for seven volunteers to serve on the Salary Commission to help determine how much members of the City Council should be paid.

City Council salary data was last reviewed in 2009. Beginning this year, a new salary commission will be appointed every seven years to perform a salary review. Currently, Council members receive $1,000 per month. The Council member selected to be Mayor receives $1,250 in recognition of additional duties assigned to the position.

Members of this Commission will be appointed by the Mayor with approval of the City Council.

Commissioners will serve for approximately 120 days, during which time the group will meet as needed. The meetings are open to the public and subject to the Open Public Meetings Act.

A member of the Commission may not include a City employee or official, or an immediate family member of a City employee or official. An "immediate family member" means the parents, spouse, siblings, children, or dependent relatives of a City employee or official.

 

Click here for more information about the Salary Commission and to complete the online application.

 

Applications are due by 4:00 p.m. next Friday, Nov. 15, 2019. Interviews will be held in late November and/or early December.