The city will continue to look at the possibilities for putting a parking lot for beach-goers on city-owned land on Manitou Beach Drive, but Bainbridge council members last week indicated it wouldn’t be a front-burner project until 2016.

The Bainbridge council got an update at its last study session on a proposal to build a low-impact parking lot for beach-goers on Manitou Beach Drive.

The city owns waterfront land on Manitou Beach Drive, and last April, the council offered its support for constructing a parking lot for visitors to the property, which would eventually be declared surplus land and transferred to the Bainbridge parks district.

At the study session Dec. 2, city officials detailed different options for constructing a parking lot on the land.

The options include a three-, four- or six-stall parking lot. All three options are estimated to cost less than $20,000 to build, and the lot could be constructed by public works staff, according to the city.

Development of the property will be limited by a small wetland on the property. The wetland appears to be smaller than 1,000 square feet in size, according to city staff, but a study will be done to determine its boundaries and its classification.

Access to the beach

City staff earlier said the new parking lot would promote public access to the beach, and visitors will be able to enjoy the view of the Seattle skyline, access the city’s tideland parcel, and launch hand-held watercraft. A small bicycle rack, a bench or two, a trail leading to the shoreline, and pedestrian-crossing pavement markings could also become part of the project.

The city bought the beach property in 2003 with funding from an open space bond.

Neighborhood not happy

Residents in the neighborhood are opposed to the new lot, however.

The city received a petition signed by residents of 37 nearby households who opposed a parking lot for cars.

“Manitou Beach is not an appropriate site for situating a ‘pocket park’ with parking,” the petition states. “Parking for motorized vehicles encourages heavy use that is incompatible with both the existing residential neighborhood use and the environment, putting the local wetlands and beach at risk as well as creating adversity between local residents and those coming to use such an expanded facility.”

The petition called for the city to designate the property as non-motorized access only. It also noted that beach fires, noise, trash and broken bottles from drinking parties were problems when parking was available in the past along the beach.

Those concerns echoed again at last week’s study session.

Neighbors to the city’s land warned against developing on a parcel with a sensitive wetland and the problems that would arise if it was public parkland.

Linda Sohlberg, an architect who lives in the neighborhood, said the land was originally proposed for purchase as open space.

“Open space, which, to most of us, does not include a parking lot particularly within what you all have designated as a wetlands,” she said.

Sohlberg said the property is susceptible to seasonal flooding, and gave the council photographs of the land under water. Development of the land with a parking lot would increase the potential for flooding in the neighborhood, she said.

“Maybe not by much, but we get more and more every year,” Sohlberg said.

The neighborhood needs to be more involved with what happens with the property, she said.

“We’re very leery of having a parking lot,” she said.

An empty house on the property previously turned into “party central,” she recalled. “It created a ton of garbage, a ton of noise, a ton of beach fires and a ton of problems.”

Walkers excited about plan

Other Bainbridge residents said the parking lot was a good idea, especially for people who would want to put in a kayak, or parents with strollers.

Charles Schmid suggested reducing the lot to two stalls, and limit park use to daylight use only.

“I truly adore that beach,” said Maradel Gale, who recalled her wonderful walks along Manitou when a friend lived there.

Some of the comments shared earlier, she said, reminded her of road end disputes on the island, where neighbors didn’t want to share what was there, “where people want to keep it for themselves.”

“It’s sort like, ‘I’ve got mine, keep everybody else out of here’ feeling. And that’s very sad,” Gale said.

She recalled her own experience, when a park popped up next to her in Winslow, “five feet from my bedroom,” after the property owner converted a parcel into beautiful garden. That private property, called Red Pine Park, was recently donated to the Bainbridge Island parks district and is now open to the public.

“It’s a delightful addition to our neighborhood,” she said. “I am so happy that is there. It’s a delight to see people out enjoying it.”

“I want the same thing here,” Gale added. “It needs to happen.”

Deputy City Manager Morgan Smith stressed that the future of the land will be determined after much public outreach.

Mayor Anne Blair suggested looking at the project for 2016 if the council agreed.

“There have been a lot of good ideas, and this is only the beginning,” Blair said.