Community organization wants a woodshop for all

The Bainbridge Island Community Woodshop, a local non-profit organization, is kicking off a series of meetings starting at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Senior Center Commons followed by a public meeting on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall to discuss building a community woodshop on the former gravel pit area at the Johnson Farm.

City taxpayers purchased the property in 2001 to be used for various purposes including small-scale agriculture, education programs, public open space and affordable housing.

The woodshop would use about 1.3 acres of the 14.5-acre property on Fletcher Bay Road. The site is no longer suitable for farming.

The concept for a Bainbridge Island Community Woodshop began in late 2008, and the all-volunteer organization behind the woodshop has doubled since 2008 with nearly 100 members.

The woodshop has offered classes through the park district and launched a community-service program to provide woodworking repairs, but is still looking for a site to create a community workshop.

The shop would offer classes, likely through the parks district, and would be available outside of class time for members.

The shop, bathrooms and a small conference room would total approximately 4,500 square feet. The parking lot and bathrooms would be accessible to other users of the farm.

A preliminary site plan and sketches are available on the City’s website at http://www.ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us/ (click on the calendar on November 15, 2010 for the link to the materials).

The meetings will provide the community with a chance to discuss the project, give feedback and ask questions.

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