Ericksen link to be explored

The City Council on Wednesday green-lighted a work plan aimed at exploring a link between Ericksen Avenue and Hildebrand Lane.

The $21,000 project would employ Transpo Group, a Kirkland-based transportation engineering firm, to prepare a traffic circulation study of the Ericksen-Hildebrand area and forcast how the proposed link would impact the two streets, as well as intersections at High School Road, Wallace Way, Wyatt Way and Winslow Way.

The proposed connection has been touted by supporters as a long overdue and logical link between downtown and the Village shopping center. However, the proposal has raised strong concerns from Ericksen residents who fear increased traffic through their neighborhood.

Some councilors stressed that the study includes opportunities for public input and does not obligate the city to connect the street.

“The community has not committed to this,” Councilwoman Debbie Vancil said. “This includes a process for community debate and provides a baseline of information.”

Councilman Nezam Tooloee cited numerous endorsements of the proposed connection, including a public poll conducted by Winslow Tomorrow and the council’s earlier support for funding aspects of the project.

But Madison Avenue resident Bob Burkholder characterized the proposal as shortsighted, in an address to the council.

“We’ve got to stop accommodating the automobile,” he said. “We know better than that. Please don’t destroy the heart and soul of our community just to be like everywhere else.”

The approved service agreement would also employ the Transpo Group to evaluate 16 intersections in and around Winslow. The study would update outdated information and would re-evaluate the number of cars at specified intersections during peak evening hours and the directions motorists turn.

In another long-term planning move Wednesday, the council approved hiring a consultant to help craft an urban design in partnership with Washington State Ferries for the area near the Winslow terminal.

Van Meter, Williams, Pollock, an architecture and urban design firm based in San Francisco, was selected by city staff as the most qualified of 17 firms that bid on the $133,670 “Gateway District” design project.

Winslow Tomorrow’s project manager Sandy Fischer recommended VMWP based on the firm’s previous work designing transit-related projects and its communication skills.

She pointed to VMWP’s familiarity with sustainable design and its previous work in transportation planning, including transit centers in Oakland, Calif., and Arveda, Colo.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the community to have a representative from a really strong design firm,” she said.

The design process will include a series of community meetings beginning in September.

– Tristan Baurick

Council looks at LM areas

The city may remove an open space requirement in some areas zoned for light manufacturing.

The amendment under consideration would delete the existing 30 percent open space requirement but would require landowners to keep existing trees and shrubs to meet roadside screening requirements.

City attorney Paul McMurray said current regulations, which lacked “site-specific analysis,” makes the city vulnerable to lawsuits.

City planner Bob Katai said the areas affected by the amendment comprise just 32 acres over six parcels.

Charles Schmid of the Association of Bainbridge Communities called the proposed changes “troublesome.” Schmid believes the open space reductions could negatively impact wildlife and the island’s rural aesthetic.

Councilman Bill Knobloch acknowledged Schmid’s concerns, but expressed support for the measure.

“This is a common sense situation,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of light manufacturing left on the island.”

– Tristan Baurick

City to hire new engineers

The council on Wednesday approved an expanded career track for city engineers, aimed at attracting new recruits and retaining existing staff.

Under the present system, the public works department lacks a promotion track in engineering and technician positions. Once hired, there is little opportunity for advancement unless a supervisor retires, quits or is fired.

This stagnates ambitious employees and has been cited by some former city engineers as a key reason for their departure.

The new system would reclassify several existing positions as two “engineering technician” and two “engineer” employment ranks.

Salary ranges for engineer technicians will be set between $3,147 and $4,732 per month while the engineer position will range between $3,864 and $5,740.