The Bainbridge Island City Council is considering an ordinance that would ban new hotels in some downtown districts.
At Tuesday’s council meeting Councilmember Joe Deets explained the law would not permanently ban them. But it would put them on hold until work can be done to decide what types of hotels would be allowed.
In summary, the proposed changes:
• Prohibit new hotels in the Central Core, Gateway and Ferry Terminal districts of the Mixed-Use Town Center. Hotels are currently allowed as “conditional uses” in these districts.
• Continue to allow hotels in the High School Road 1 and 2 zoning districts. The law would allow the Planning Commission and the council to review the city’s regulations, including use standards, to determine if and how new hotels within these zoning districts could be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
• Continue to prohibit hotels in the Madison Avenue and Ericksen Avenue zoning districts.
• Clarify that the planning director and hearing examiner should give substantial weight to the Planning Commission recommendations on land use permits, including recommendations of denial.
The proposed ordinance is part of a series of recommendations developed by a joint City Council and Planning Commission land use subcommittee formed in June to clarify an approach for affordable housing initiatives and to prioritize and develop a process for land use code revisions.
The council approved the measure 3-2, with Councilmembers Michael Pollock and Kirsten Hytopoulos absent. The measure will be on the April 13 consent agenda.
Deets asked when the planning department would be able to start looking into what type of hotels could be allowed. He said he wants to make sure it “doesn’t get lost.”
Planning director Heather Wright said it’s not in their work plan currently, but it will be added to their discussion April 20.
Councilmember Christy Carr said the city received a number of comments from the community regarding prohibiting hotels. The Winslow Hotel proposal was “very unpopular in the community,” which led to the temporary prohibition.
However, City Attorney Joe Levan said the Winslow Hotel already has a proposal in the works so the temporary prohibition would not apply to that project.
