UPDATE | Bainbridge park supporters jubilant over approval of parkland purchase

Published 9:35 pm Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Election Night jitters turned into hugs and hoorays as Bainbridge voters approved a $5.9 million bond measure to pay for the purchase of the 23-acre Sakai property for a future park during the Feb. 10 Special Election.

Proposition 1 was passing in a landslide with 68.9 percent in favor of the measure during the initial vote count on Election Night. A total of 31.1 percent were against the proposition in the first vote tally.

“I knew the community valued parks space,” said Bruce Weiland, co-chairman of People for Parks, after the results came in. “It makes me love this place even more.”

The proposal needed a 60-percent supermajority to pass.

So far, 8,120 ballots have been counted. County election workers estimate there will be another 500 ballots to count at the next vote tally on Wednesday afternoon.

People for Parks committee members and volunteers gathered at Treehouse Cafe to watch the numbers roll in.

But if the usual process of watching results wasn’t nerve-wracking enough, the internet reception inside was spotty. A good-spirited volunteer waited outside where the signal was a bit stronger, making an announcement all the more exciting once the door to the outside swung open with the good news.

The rest of the group took a break from their pizza and beers once the results rolled in, offering one another hugs and congratulations.

Jason Shutt, co-chairman of People for Parks, said the committee was “cautiously optimistic” about a win.

“I’m excited about what the community is going to do together,” he said. “We were optimistic. There was just a lot of positive reactions and we had a lot of good feedback along the way.”

The vote count was 5,594 votes for approval, and 2,526 votes against.

The 20-year bond measure will pay for the purchase of the Sakai property — two parcels of largely undeveloped land that sits between Madison Avenue and Highway 305, and voter approval of Prop. 1 will increase the property tax bill for the owner of a $450,000 home by approximately $36 a year.

Supporters of Prop. 1 said the ballot measure was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create a Winslow-area park that would serve the heart of the island. The Sakai land is across the street from Ordway Elementary, and it is the largest remaining mid-density, residentially-zoned property on the island. The 22.87-acre property had been previously eyed for development, and city officials have said more than 100 homes could be built on the Sakai land.

Supporters also noted the property boasts a 9-acre area that could be used for active recreation and sports fields, as well as a 2-acre freshwater lake.

Tuesday’s celebration over the new park in the island’s future soon became an impromptu birthday party.

“Anything you could want in an elections committee, anything they could do, these guys have done it right,” said Terry Lande, executive director of the parks district. “They’ve done such a wonderful job with how they represented the park district.”

The win happened to fall on Lande’s birthday, making it a little sweeter. Those gathered were sure to sing “Happy Birthday” to him.

The proposal saw a vigorous campaign both for and against the land purchase. The park proposal was one of three measures on Tuesday’s ballot, but the only contested proposition.

Opponents of Prop. 1 repeatedly pushed the issue of taxes, and said the cost of the land was too high. They also said Bainbridge Island already has ample parks for residents.

People for Parks raised $14,689 for its campaign and spent $10,625, according to the Public Disclosure Commission, the state agency that serves as a watchdog on campaign financing.

According to reports on file with the PDC, People for Parks spent approximately $1,911 on postcards, posters and yard signs. A total of $1,260 was spent on newspaper advertising.

Affordable Bainbridge, the group opposed to the property purchase, raised a little more than $1,800 from four donors, according to the campaign.

The group said it spent $695 on 5,000 postcards, and postage totaled $809. Another $198 was spent on two rounds of robo calls made on Sunday, Jan. 25 and Sunday, Feb. 1 by Target Marketing USA of Mission Viejo, Calif.

What to expect in upcoming months:

During its regular board meeting last month, the Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Parks and Recreation District board adopted a resolution outlining a timeline of events for the Sakai property if the ballot passed. Under resolution 2015-02, the district is looking to solicit input from community members.

The tentative timeline is as follows:

• From March to July, the park district outlined researching property details for future planning including wetlands delineation, surveys, road egress/ingress in preparation for future traffic studies, etc.

• In August there will be a transfer of property ownership to the park district in a purchase and sale agreement. The district will begin work for initial property use with temporary parking and trail access with “the goal of making the site accessible to the public.”

• From September through December, the district will hold public meetings for input from the general public and potential user groups on what the property may be used for in the future. The district will post an online survey for the public to make suggestions and express preferences for possible property uses.

• All public input comments gathered through public meetings and the online survey will be collected from January through May 2016. Potential primary uses will also be identified.

• District staff will develop possible options between May and September for the property concept plan with preliminary cost estimates based on public input.

• Between September and November of 2016, the park district staff will present possible options for the concept plan with projected cost figures, possible phasing and potential funding sources. Public comment will be welcome during the concept plan phase. The board will then adopt a final concept plan for the property.