The City Council dealt with a particularly complex issue at its meeting Tuesday night. It is one of those issues that is multi layered. It involves modern technology and the need for infrastructure to support it. It involves the protection of views and vistas and avoiding visual blight. It dealt with the roles of the various layers of government in our federalist system. It involves legal risk. It was one of those decisions where it will take time to fully understand and appreciate the outcome.
Last Tuesday, the City Council adopted a permanent ordinance, as opposed to a temporary or interim ordinance, to govern the location and visual appearance of wireless communication facilities. The City Council as well as the Planning Commission have been deliberating this issue since 2019.
Here is the issue in a nutshell. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has extensive powers to regulate telecommunication services in the United States. The FCC has determined that the United States is in a race with other world powers to roll out 5G, fifth-generation technology. In its eagerness to roll out 5G, the FCC is willing to make every light, traffic pole, street corner, and right-of-way a cell site, restricting local government land use discretion. Land use has typically been the purview of local government.
What the City Council attempted to do was balance the preemptive power of the FCC, while at the same time preserving local land use control and views and vistas. The City Council was thoughtful. They know this is a balancing act between the availability of new technology and the protection of how people see their community, literally. Being a member of the City Council is difficult. They deliberate in public, need to consider multiple variables, and reach a decision. This is not the last hard choice this Council will make. There will be many more. But, the Council is working on it, and they will do their best.
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Best,
Blair King
City Manager
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Patty Charnas will be Planning and Community Development Director |
Patricia Charnas has been selected as the new Planning and Community Development Director. She will begin May 16.
Patricia, or Patty, is a Kitsap County resident with 26 years of planning experience. She was previously Director of the Jefferson County Department of Community Development. In addition, she has served in multiple planning positions with Kitsap County for over a decade. She has worked for the U.S. Department of Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency. She is the past president of the Washington State Association of County and Regional Planning Directors.
She has a strong environmental background with a Bachelor of Science in biology and chemistry from Southern Connecticut State University, a Master of Science in education from Old Dominion University, and a Master of Public Health, with a distinction in environmental health, from Yale University. She is the past president of the Washington State Association of County and Regional Planning Directors.
Patty will lead the Department of Planning and Community Development, which implements the City’s land use policies and regulations through planning and building permit review, ordinance development and code compliance.
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City advisory committee applications due today - April 29 |
We’re looking for volunteers to serve on our City Advisory Groups to assist and advise the City Council on topics that range from climate change and ethics to land use and utility-related policies. Our boards and committees do important work and add value to topics under Council consideration.
The workload varies for each committee; some meet just once a month and others more often. Most committees require a three-year commitment.
For a full list of openings and to learn about the committee responsibilities, please visit bainbridgewa.gov/CAG. You can apply online or pick up a paper copy of the application at the City Hall front counter.
The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. April 29. Interviews will be held in May.
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Wintergreen Townhomes Subdivision Appeal Update |
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The Bainbridge Hearing Examiner’s December 23, 2021, approval of the Wintergreen Townhomes Subdivision remains subject to an active judicial appeal filed by project neighbor Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. The Wintergreen residential site is located near Highway 305 and High School Road in the space between Virginia Mason and Walgreens and would include construction of 73 single-family townhomes, 31 of which would be sold and managed as affordable housing units by Housing Resources Bainbridge for income-qualified households.
A hearing date for the appeal is not finalized in Kitsap Superior Court due to ongoing negotiation efforts between interested parties to reach a settlement agreement. A revised parking plan for the commercial and residential site continues under review by City staff to satisfy a condition of approval from the Hearing Examiner’s decision.
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Request for Qualifications for equity review of Police/Court Facility advertised |
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The City is looking for an architectural firm, with an eye towards social justice, to review the construction plans and offer suggestions on ways the building can be more welcoming to all segments of the community and serve the community. Specifically, suggestions have been made concerning the entrance, including space for Restorative Justice, and fixtures and furnishings.
Responses to the request for qualifications (RFQ) are due to the City by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 5.
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Madison Avenue Projects Improvement Bundle Open House |
On the evening of April 27, 2022, the Public Works Department hosted a virtual open house to review and answer questions on the Madison Avenue Improvements Bundle. A small number of community members attended the open house, which was hosted by the City project team including the City's public works director and project manager.
The project, which is in the preliminary design phase, includes widened sidewalks and protected bike lanes between Wyatt Way and High School Road, and pavement restoration, sewer and non-motorized improvements between High School Road and SR305.
The project team provided an overview of the preliminary design, and answered questions from attendees about design options and project timing. The team also reviewed alternatives for protected bikes lanes and sidewalks north of High School Road, which would add a range of costs to the project depending on the final chosen alternative. The staff will consider comments from the public, and review the design and costs – which range from $4.9-$6.6M – with the City Council at their Regular Business Meeting on May 10, 2022.
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Grow/Lovell Traffic Calming Open House |
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At 5 p.m. on May 4, 2022, the Public Works Department will host a virtual open house to receive the public’s feedback on traffic calming improvements for Grow and Lovell Avenue. As outlined in the City’s Sustainable Transportation Plan, the corridor is to be evaluated for a possible one-way couplet (northbound on Grow, southbound on Lovell) that would free up one 10’-wide lane for dedicated pedestrian and bicycle access. The proposal also calls for traffic calming measures such as speed humps and signage. A link to join the virtual meeting can be found on the City’s website.
The project team will present data and preliminary designs, and will listen carefully to the public’s reaction to the proposal, and other alternatives. There will be an option for the public to provide direct feedback on proposals to the project team via a series of Zoom polls. The public feedback, as well as potential project alternatives, is scheduled for a discussion with the City Council at their Regular Business Meeting on May 24, 2022.
The May 24th City Council presentation will also include a discussion of implementing two other top priority traffic calming locations: median islands and crosswalk safety improvements on Miller Road at the Grand Forest, and traffic and crosswalk safety improvements on Point White Drive between Lynwood Center Road and Schel Chelb Park
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National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is April 30 |
Saturday, April 30 is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day: the perfect time to clean out your medicine cabinet! Bring your unwanted or expired medications to the police station between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to dispose of them in a safe, convenient, and environmentally responsible way.
Organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the bi-annual event will include as many as 72 collection sites in Washington State. The last event resulted in 9,380 pounds of unwanted medication collected in the state with more than 100 pounds of it from Bainbridge Island.
If you can’t make it to the event, please don’t flush your old medications down the toilet. There is a drug drop bin at the BIPD station open year-round, or you can hold your medications until the next event. You may also consider visiting the DEA website for recommended methods of home disposal.
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The next scheduled Council meeting will be on May 10. Key topics include:
- Update on Winslow Subarea Plan project
- Review Madison Avenue Project Bundle Preliminary Design Options and Cost Estimates
Ways to Watch
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City website livestream (visit the Agendas & Minutes page, then click on "In Progress" when the meeting starts)
- BKAT (Channel 12 on Comcast & Channel 3 on WAVE
The public is invited to contact members of the City Council to express concerns, questions and praise. Some council members are holding virtual office hours and others are available to meet upon request.
Please visit the City Council page for more information on individual City Council members.
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Reusable dishes available to local restaurants |
Local food service establishments can get a head start on transitioning to reusable dishes and utensils. New regulations enacted by Ordinance No. 2021-34 requires reusable food service ware for on-site dining on Bainbridge Island as of January 1, 2023. The West Coast nonprofit, Plastic Free Restaurants, offers reimbursements up to $5/piece to restaurant owners for replacing single-use plastics with reusable metal, ceramic, etc. dishes and utensils.
Bainbridge Island food service establishments are eligible through May 31, 2022. Learn more and register at Plastic Free Restaurants. |
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Wednesday, May 4, 5 p.m., Online Open House on Grow/Lovell traffic improvements |
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Monday, May 30. City offices closed in observance of Memorial Day |
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