The Bainbridge Island City Council will discuss redevelopment of the Senior Community Center at its 6 p.m. meeting at City Hall and on Zoom Jan. 16.
A memo to the council says, in part:
The BISCC has been flourishing since it became an independent, nonprofit in 2017. The programs, services, and help available through the center have blossomed, and in the past six years membership has grown from about 700 to over 2,000.
The center is recognized as the “go-to” place for assistance and engagement for people 50+ on BI and is focused on community building— collaborating with other nonprofits, schools and government agencies to do our part to make BI a safe place to grow up and grow older.
The need for an expanded facility has been recognized since 2007, when a panel that included city officials, BISCC representatives and others explored a two-story replacement for the current structure.
We anticipate our project will provide more community services including support groups, legal aid and wellness programs. Those programs are not currently possible given the limitations of our aging 6,200-square-foot facility.
An expanded facility will allow for increased use for community forums, discussions book groups, and information sessions, and would further work to integrate senior citizens into the wider community, benefiting not only elders, but people of all ages. It also will continue to serve—and better serve—the community as a severe weather shelter and emergency hub.
While BISCC is taking the lead on the project, we intend to engage city staff and the community for input. We are testing three locations for an expanded facility, from the current locations or building adjacent to it. We expect that 2024 will be focused on design and commitments for major fundraising, with a plan to publicly fundraise in 2025. If we are successful we anticipate construction in 2026.
Other topics
The council also will review a report on reasonable expectations of a financially feasible affordable housing project. That will include information on a Low Income Housing Tax Credit that may attract more private sector development of such projects. Information will be shown on how to possibly finance affordable housing at 625 Winslow Way, the site of the former police station.
That project could include 31 studio, 30 one-bedroom, 27 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom homes in a 45-foot, four-story building, that is within the current height code restriction. There would also be 7,500 square feet of first-floor commercial space, along with below-grade parking.
The presentation says the site is ideal for such a project because it is: within walking distance to many employers, public transit and daily living needs. It also meets public funding priorities, is optimal for the tax credit, and the city’s investment ensures control over future redevelopment and influence on commercial uses.
The council will also receive a report on the draft alternatives for the Winslow Subarea and BI Comprehensive plans prior to them being analyzed in an environmental impact statement.
The report includes information on dozens of topics, including: senior center involvement, need for senior housing, local workforce and affordability, racial diversity, healthcare facilities leaving, converting farmland, transportation, ferry traffic, Island Center, Lynwood Center, trails, aging in place, sewer limitations, tourism, density, increased government transparency, declining school enrollment, anti-development attitudes, resident age gap (18-35), incentives for development, climate change and many, many more.
Bainbridge Community Foundation will give a presentation to the council on its State of the Sector Community Report.
No public comment is scheduled.
