Bainbridge Island residents got a chance to provide input on some early renderings of building design for the city’s affordable housing project at the corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305, and the developers hope more will chime in.

About 65 people attended the “community listening session” hosted by the city’s housing development partner, the Low Income Housing Institute, and architecture firm Runberg Group May 29. Attendees received a debrief on LIHI’s work around the Puget Sound, the architecture firm’s design philosophy and the constraints and advantages of the site, then were able to submit questions to a panel.

The new building will have around 90 units, which will be a mix of studios, one-, two- and three-bedrooms. Rent will be commensurate with the tenant’s income, which must fall between 40-60% of the Kitsap County Area Median Income, or about $58,000 per year. In addition to housing, the structure will add several commercial spaces to the corner, including several live-work spaces.

Many community members’ questions were focused less on the dwellings and more on the building’s impact on existing traffic. How might the structure handle congestion on the highway, they asked.

By prioritizing “workforce housing” at a location with strong transit connections, Bainbridge could see its local economy grow while limiting an increase in traffic, Runberg architect Mark Davies explained, though the structure will include 108 parking stalls. The site has a walk- and bike-score of 70 and 72, respectively, about the same as the city of Seattle, which means residents will be encouraged to forgo car trips for most errands.

In terms of traffic flow, LIHI intends to perform a traffic study, but the entrance to the parking garage will be on the Winslow side of the building, officials said.