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Message from the City Manager
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Dear Bainbridge Islanders,
On Monday, June 18, Island residents are invited to a community discussion about the Island Center Neighborhood subarea plan. The open house begins at 6:30 p.m. and, at 7:00 p.m. there will be a presentation. Public participation is welcome and important during this process.
Why is the City doing this? The simple answer is that it is one of the priorities that came out of the 2-year long Comprehensive Plan Update process. More importantly, if we do not actively engage in community planning, there is a high probability that the community will be dissatisfied when development or redevelopment occurs. As Benjamin Franklin said, "Failing to plan is planning to fail."
If we learned anything from the Wintergreen Walk (Visconsi) development it should be that without good visioning and community planning, we can't expect development and redevelopment to be consistent with the community character we want to preserve. Over time, property changes hands, businesses change, and community needs change - development and redevelopment will happen. Our updated Comprehensive Plan recognizes that by planning for growth to occur within our neighborhood centers, we are proactively preserving the large lot open spaces across the remaining 80% of the Island.
What if I don't want changes? Unless you are the property owner, it is very hard to prohibit changes to private property as long as the changes are in compliance with local land use and zoning regulations. A property owner has a legal right to reasonable use of his/her property, which includes development and redevelopment. The role of local government is to establish policies and regulations that will achieve the type of development and redevelopment that is consistent with community values and requires mitigation of the impacts of development and redevelopment.
With Gratitude,
Doug Schulze
City Manager, Bainbridge Island
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Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Superfund Site Summer Beach Update
Beaches at Wyckoff Still Contaminated
As summer weather approaches, use of the beaches in Pritchard Park and around the Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Superfund site will increase. It is important to understand that the beaches east and north of "the Point," the site's former processing area, are still contaminated. View the Tip Sheet to help you stay safe this summer if you are going to spend time enjoying the Pritchard Park beaches.
The beaches are contaminated with creosote, a chemical used to treat wooden rail road ties, utility poles and pier pilings. Creosote is an oily petroleum-based product with a distinctive odor. The creosote that remains on the beaches today is in long, thin layers. It is patchy and shows up in small spots randomly, usually during falling low tides. Heat makes creosote thinner, so it moves more readily. As a result, it is more common to see spots of it on the beach on warm, sunny days.
If you are using the beaches, please adhere to the warning signs posted near the site.
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Noxious Weed Control Crew Work
Kitsap county noxious weed control crew will be back on Bainbridge Island June 19 - 23 for annual noxious weed work along roadsides and on private properties. On Tuesday, June 19 and Wednesday, June 20, their focus will be posting the road sided in accordance with City code 16.30.06 then posted sites will be treat on Thursday and Friday. They work to remove plants via pulling where possible and do spot treatments on sites where needed.
If you have a s pecific location you would like visited, please send the address of the site(s) along with the weed species to Dana Coggon.
Private sites will be treated mostly on Wednesday. Thank you all for your help and your continued efforts to keep noxious weeds managed on the Island. If the crew wasn't able to get
to your site a few weeks ago they may be returning to see how the sites look and to do some follow up treatments.
The target plants are still poison hemlock, tansy, teasel, Purple loosestrife and knotweed. If you spot any locations that you would like manage, email Dana Coggon at [email protected]
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Fireworks on Bainbridge Island
Each year around the end of June the City of Bainbridge Island receives complaints about the illegal use of fireworks. Please respect your neighbors and only use legal fireworks during the permitted days and hours. It is not a good use of our police department's time responding to complaints about fireworks. Our first responders don't want to be called out for property damage or personal injuries caused by fireworks either so, please be careful when using fireworks.
On Bainbridge Island, consumer fireworks may be discharged between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on July 4th. "Consumer fireworks" means any fireworks designed primarily to produce visible or audible effects by combustion as defined by RCW
70.77.136, and includes the following:
1. Ground and handheld sparkling devices, dipped sticks, sparklers, cylindrical fountains, cone fountains, illuminating torches, wheels, ground spinners and flitter sparklers as those terms are defined by WAC
212-17-035;
3. Helicopters, aerials, spinners, Roman candles, mines and shells, and mortars as those terms are defined by WAC
212-17-035;
4. Division 1.4G explosives classified on January 1, 1984, as consumer fireworks by the United States Department of Transportation, except that the term does not include firecrackers, salutes, chasers, skyrockets and missile-type rockets. (Ord. 2009-05 ยง 2, 2009)
Community members are strongly encouraged to enjoy the public display in Eagle Harbor as an alternative to consumer displays.
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Upcoming Events
- South Ward Meeting, Island Center Hall, Saturday, June 16, 12:30 p.m.
- Island Center Subarea Plan Community Kickoff, City Hall, June 18, 6:30 p.m.
- City Council Study Session, City Hall, June 19, 6:00 p.m.
- Rotary Auction & Rummage Sale, Woodward Middle School, June 30, 8am - 2pm
- Boaters Fair, Eagle Harbor Waterfront Park, Sunday, July 1, 4pm - 7pm
- Street Dance, Winslow Way, Tuesday, July 3 from 6PM - 11PM
- 39th Annual BYS Fun Run, Winslow Green, July 4, 9AM run start
- Grand Old 4th of July, Downtown, July 4, 7AM - 10PM
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