It’s time island emphasizes ‘cultural visitation’ | Letters | May 28
Published 4:00 pm Friday, May 28, 2010
With sincere respect to those who believe “growth is inevitable,” ‘tis untrue. Spec-marketed growth may be given substantial “advertising” for new residents (e.g., vast sums spent to advertise Harbor Square in glossy in-flight magazines before cutting ground).
By contrast, a commitment to remain in balance afforded by “natural migration” does not produce the level of growth Bainbridge Island has witnessed. BI simply hasn’t come together to make that commitment.
Instead, we have major downtown property owners/developers/realtors and a tourism industry (as “bait”) implementing a non-voter approved, spec-marketed plan to “build-out Winslow” crafted in a 1994 planning process titled “Winslow 2010” that displayed eight 11-by-17” pages of full built out from Winslow Way to High School Road.
BI has since “marched” to congestion, urbanization, gentrification and loss of its former unique character and intimacy with approximately 500 condos built since the appearance of “Winslow Tomorrow.”
So here we are with Windermere’s VP Tim Bailey (former co-chair of the Winslow 2025 Growth Committee) and major Winslow property owners (Kelly Samson principal among them) planning 48 new homes on Madrona Way. Add, too, the plan for 20 more at the north end of Cave Avenue. None will be truly affordable. All despite sizable present vacancies.
Some think the previous market will return to again feed the greed train at the expense of the human and deeper social well-being of the community. Yet, how could the previous market return? It was dysfunctional and pumped up on air!
Is this not our wake-up call? Are we not now on a precarious threshold being “invited” if not “compelled” to return to balance and equality before it’s too late.
My prayer would be that those involved in speculatively “growing BI” have a change of heart, and between them – perhaps with some guidance from folks proficient in healthy community building – find a way to “re-invent” how they practice tourism, realty and development in service of whole community well-being.
BI has a unique opportunity to model a community that reclaimed itself in this manner. With BGI, YES! Magazine, Positive Futures Network, IslandWood, and many environmental and social well being NPOs – BI could shift its revenue streams from commercial tourism-feeding-upscale-urbanized-construction to “cultural visitation” and smart technology whereby visitors would come to learn how to reclaim their own communities.
And what an enhanced model for the “Gateway” this could be vs. five more retail buildings with many still vacant in town!
This would require a soulful commitment of BI to come together in service of absolute honesty, balance and whole community well being. In 2010, I believe this could be our greater noble purpose – certainly more than turning BI into another Bellevue or Issaquah.
Larry Koss
Winslow
