New dock is too large for little bay | LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Published 12:59 pm Thursday, September 1, 2016
To the editor:
My wife Wilene and I have lived on Little Manzanita Bay since 1971.
Little Manzanita Bay is the last pristine small bay on Bainbridge Island. The bay almost empties out at very low tides, and fills back in dramatically on high tides. The mountain views and sunsets are spectacular. The water gets warm enough for swimming in the summer. The inner bay, the site of this application, is designated a Wildlife Conservation Zone.
There are three small unobtrusive docks in the bay including the one to be replaced and they have served well for a very long time. The owners have always opted to keep them small. By contrast, Big Manzanita Bay is a forest of long docks.
The applicants’ property is better known as the Westinghouse-Lindbergh property. The home is the centerpiece of what has become an iconic favorite for kayaks and stand aboard paddlers. It is also one of the favorite swimming areas on the island with access from Dock Street road end and Woodland road end.
A dock of the 240-foot length requested, compared to the 85-foot existing, will protrude well in to the channel of Little Manzanita Creek which also supports runs of cut throat trout and chum salmon and is a popular fishing site.
Both applicants have boats in the 30-foot range. Boat hoists for boats of this size are larger than the boats and would stick out on either side of the dock. This mass of structure in this central location will dramatically change the character of the bay.
The waterfront owners of Little Manzanita Bay have refrained from building long docks of this size out of respect for these natural values.
Both applicants are new owners of this property on the bay and perhaps they have not considered the values many of us love and wish to preserve. Perhaps they don’t know that the community around this small bay has resisted opportunities to build docks in front of their homes, which has certainly enhanced the applicants’ view and enjoyment. The applicants have a beautiful piece of property. They can enjoy their boats very well without imposing this dock on the rest of the community. We personally hope that they will reconsider their application. We would all win, the neighborhood and the environment. We hope those who enjoy recreation and the charm of this bay will let the Bainbridge Department of Planning and Community Development know your views. Contact: Heather Wright, Senior Planner, 280 Madison Ave. North, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110.
FRED AND WILENE GRIMM
Bainbridge Island
