The Bainbridge Island City Council received project updates on the Eagle Harbor fish passage project at Cooper Creek and received updates on several traffic-related projects as part of its Aug. 26 meeting.
City manager Blair King said the fish passage project is moving along and the city wants to complete the project as quickly as possible. Pre-fabricated concrete pieces were implemented to create the fish passage, which required 18 feet of excavation, while the side of the retaining walls will be backfilled, he said.
The city also prepared for back to school Sept. 2 with several traffic-related projects, which King presented to council.
A three-way stop has been added at Lynwood Center Road and Fletcher Bay Road between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with intermittent flagging, which aims to address traffic congestion anticipated with the start of school, King said.
At the High School Road/Fletcher Bay intersection, traffic signals will be operational between 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bainbridge Island police officers will be available to direct traffic and monitor traffic conditions at key intersections on the first few days of school. The city reminds commuters to expect longer traveling times and encourages carpooling, using school buses, and taking public transit.
Regarding the paving projects at Sportsman Club Road and Baker Hill Road, the city is working with contractors to try and minimize traffic impacts whenever possible, King said.
Council also authorized the city manager to sign a professional service agreement with LMN Architects for the Winslow Subarea Plan. LMN had previously worked in this role since January 2023.
The new contract will extend the contract term to April 30, 2026, which previously expired June 30. The contract cost will increase by $90,000 to allow the firm to complete the update to the WSB, per city documents. The firm will include any future code changes, which will refer to either the Planning Commission or City Council for policy direction.
Public comments
Several BI residents shared their concerns about the 625 Winslow Way affordable housing project at the site of the former police station during the public comment portion of the meeting.
“Make no mistake, any reduction in size is going to impact people’s lives and their ability to experience what we are so blessed by,” Nathan Bombardier said. “We do not know when we will have this opportunity again. The economy is uncertain, and that could have a huge impact on the future funding cycles.”
Dennis Gawlik shared his support for the project but had concerns around the timeframe.
“If we don’t build it now, we keep kicking it down the road; it’s just going to get harder and harder for us to do,” he said.
BI resident Lara Lant, who is running for the council’s District 7 seat in the upcoming general election, voiced displeasure about the location of the project.
“Public support is fragile, and developers like (Low Income Housing Institute) are facing financial strain. As city manager Blair King noted last week, ‘you have the power to guide the next steps, including pausing this project until the comprehensive plan is complete,’” she said. “Meanwhile, other sites have become available that are better situated, less costly, easier to develop and likely faster to bring online. If you are truly champions of housing and good planning and fiscal responsibility, I urge you to…seriously consider these alternatives.”
BI resident Chris Garrett echoed similar sentiments.
“I’m against the project because it doesn’t make sense to me. I think it’s too expensive, from what I understand. I think with the resources you have, you could do better in the low-income housing community by finding a better site where you could probably produce better, more units,” he said.
