To the editor:

Whenever I visited my sister on Bainbridge Island I felt like I was on vacation — that is why I moved here 18 years ago. Now that I have raised a family and established a business in this community, it is not always like a vacation, but the beauty and lifestyle still permeate my consciousness and remind me that I live in a special place.

As an architect and urban planner, I feel I can offer some perspective:

One of the unique factors of this place is its geography.

Being an island, Bainbridge has obvious geographic limitations. City limits are defined by a body of water — thus our land area will always be limited. The growth projections for Kitsap County, for the year 2030, show a 50 percent increase over the 2010 population numbers (from the Washington State Office of Financial Management.) That is about the time my grandkids could be entering kindergarten.

Based on this math and the simple laws of supply-and-demand, if we cannot accommodate population growth on our island, then we are creating an elitist sanctuary beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest families.

It is our responsibility to make sure this place we love retains beauty and a good quality of life for future generations. Prohibiting growth is one-sided and self-centered. (Let’s assume your son or my daughter becomes that engineer who develops a means to accommodate water and sewer issues related to growth.) If we are smart and intentional about how growth happens, we can create a framework for a wonderful, sustainable, and economically diverse Bainbridge Island in 2030 and beyond.

I am writing this to support the Proposition One bond to purchase the Sakai property for future park development. The greatest parks in the greatest places were set aside by visionary conservationists who foresaw the needs of future generations and set them ahead of their own personal benefit and agendas. We need to set aside this property for future islanders as we accept our responsibility to create good growth. The actions being taken right now by organizations such as the Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation, the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, Sustainable Bainbridge and the Bainbridge Island Metro Park District reflect this vision.

Bainbridge Island will change as it ages, that is inevitable. Let’s age like a Frenchwoman, with elegance and dignity. As we debate how to set a framework for good, intentional and slow growth, we must seize this opportunity to bestow this park to our future generations.

DANA WEBBER

Principal

Dana Webber Architect LLC

Bainbridge Island