A critical opportunity has emerged for Bainbridge Island to take a giant step toward providing affordable housing for our community’s residents and work force.
A 14-acre undeveloped, residentially-zoned, city-owned property at New Brooklyn and Sportsman Club Road – the Suzuki property – was originally purchased in 2000 as a possible location for a joint police/court facility. For several reasons, that plan was rejected. For almost 14 years, what to do with the property has been the subject of community discussions, task forces and work groups.
The city council is now looking at selling the surplus site to raise funds for capital needs. At the same time, there is interest in ensuring future development benefits the community.
As the council begins seeking community input on desired uses and development standards, Islanders who support affordable housing must add their voices to the conversation so that it is a significant part of whatever happens to the property.
There are compelling reasons to develop affordable housing on the Suzuki site.
First, Bainbridge’s adopted comprehensive plan spells out goals and policies to increase the supply of affordable housing, specifically mentioning the use of city property to accomplish this goal. Several council-sponsored task forces – the Community Housing Coalition (2005) and the Suzuki Task Force (2008) – recommended that affordable housing be included in any development plans for the property. Increasing diversity on the Island is one of the top five overriding principles guiding public policy decision-making.
Second, the 2013 citizen survey identified the lack of affordable housing as one of the top three concerns of Island residents. Nearly
80 percent of survey respondents rated housing as a critical issue; only scarcity of jobs and downtown parking were viewed as bigger problems.
Third and most important, recent housing data for Bainbridge continue to show almost zero vacancies for rental properties for low and moderate income families; a growing waiting list for these types of units; and very limited affordable home ownership opportunities.
In fact, except for the recent Housing Resources Board Ferncliff Village 24-home homeownership development, not a single affordable housing project has been built on the Island in the last 10 years.
This lack of affordable housing is limiting the ability of our low- and moderate-income residents and workforce to live on the Island and to become members of our community.
But this could now change. With its new initiative to determine the future of the Suzuki property, the council can take the lead in helping to meet the affordable housing policies of the comprehensive plan, respond positively to citizen concerns, and most importantly, address a growing housing crisis. The council will be planning a community workshop and dialogue on the best uses of the property, and what community benefits should be incorporated.
The Housing Resources Board has been providing affordable rental and homeownership opportunities on Bainbridge for income-qualified families for 25 years. As a strong advocate for affordable housing, we support the council’s new Suzuki initiative. We believe that affordable housing, as well as other identified public benefits, can be achieved on the site.
HRB is committed to partnering with both private and public entities to offer the city an innovative approach to meeting community needs and, in the process, providing the city with adequate funds to address other public needs.
We urge all who are interested in helping to meet the housing needs of a diverse community to become active participants in the discussions about to take place.
Mark Blatter is executive director of the Housing Resources Board.
