Bainbridge development moratorium fails to find support from city council

Published 8:43 pm Tuesday, January 19, 2016

The idea for a building ban on Bainbridge Island found little immediate support from the city council at its meeting this week.

Councilman Ron Peltier, one of Bainbridge’s newest council members, has been seeking support for a development moratorium that would halt large-scale development on the island since his election last November.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, Bainbridge architects and others in the building industry warned that a building ban would negatively impact the island’s economy, result in higher housing costs, and also be legally indefensible.

Others noted the pace of new development on the island and said a building ban would give city staff and others “a chance to breathe,” or raised concerns about an adequate water supply for new projects.

Creating a moratorium ordinance for a future council vote never came up for a vote, however, as a majority of the council declared they wouldn’t support it.

Councilman Mike Scott said a moratorium was “a very blunt instrument” that would have far reaching and potentially adverse consequences.

“It’s just not the right tool,” agreed Councilman Wayne Roth.

Roth disputed the notion that talk of a moratorium had put the issue of development front and center before the council.

The city and community has been actively involved in the topic of growth as work continues on updating the city’s comprehensive plan, the expansive policy document that will guide development on the island for the next two decades.

Bainbridge Island has set an example for the amount of public involvement as the comp plan process continues, Roth said.

“We are the leaders,” Roth said.