Bainbridge Island City Council Study Session - September 16, 2025
Bainbridge Island City Council Study Session - September 16, 2025
The Bainbridge Island City Council held a study session on September 16, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 7:58 PM. The meeting included presentations and discussions on three major items: the 30% design for the Kitsap Transit Park and Ride at Day Road and SR 305, the Dave Ullin Open Water Marina policy for liveaboards, and an update on directives from December 3, 2024 regarding the Winslow Subarea and Comprehensive Plan. The council took actions on the first two items and received information on the third.
Discussion Items
3.A – Kitsap Transit Park and Ride Lot 30% Design Kitsap Transit Service and Capital Development Director Stephanie Lilly and Engineer Kevin House presented the 30% design for a formalized park and ride lot with approximately 70 parking spaces, including 5 EV chargers and 4 handicapped spaces. The project realigns Phelps Road to reduce traffic conflicts and will be coordinated with a future roundabout at SR 305 and Day Road (currently in design but lacking full funding). The council discussed coordination with businesses and the fire department. A motion was made to authorize the city manager to bring forward a right-of-way vacation and dedication at a future meeting.
3.B – Dave Ullin Open Water Marina Policy Management Analyst Laura Shear presented two policy options for prioritizing low-income liveaboards. Currently, there are 16 mooring buoys, with 13 of 16 current occupants qualifying as low-income (at or below 60% of Area Median Income). The waitlist includes 8 applicants, 4 of whom indicated low-income qualification. Police Chief Clark highlighted safety concerns with vacant buoys, including unauthorized moorage and abandoned vessels. Council debated whether to include a 90-day waiting period (Option B) before offering a vacant buoy to market-rate applicants. Councilmember Fantroy-Johnson moved to set policy guidance at the September 23 business meeting with a 30-day wait period instead of 90 days, priority for those at or below 60% AMI, and spaces offered on an as-available basis to higher-income applicants after the wait period. Councilmember Hytopoulos opposed the motion, preferring no wait period to preserve the affordable housing intent, and raised concerns about making decisions at a study session without public comment. The motion passed 4-3.
3.C – Update on Directives from December 3, 2024 (Winslow Subarea and Comprehensive Plan) Planning Director Patty Charnas reviewed 10 policy questions from December 2024 and reported progress by the Planning Commission, including work on affordable housing incentives, building heights, and subarea boundary adjustments. The commission has focused primarily on the Winslow Town Center and has not yet addressed areas outside Winslow (e.g., neighborhood centers, conservation area). Charnas also updated the council on the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC) process for designating a countywide growth center. Councilmembers expressed concerns about the implications of such a designation, including potential loss of local control and staff capacity. No motions were made; the item was for information and discussion.
Key Outcomes
- Motion 1 (Park and Ride): Authorized the city manager to bring forward a right-of-way vacation and dedication in support of the Kitsap Transit Park and Ride at a future city council meeting. Passed unanimously, 7-0.
- Motion 2 (Marina Policy): Directed staff to bring the policy guidance (priority for ≤60% AMI, 30-day wait period, as-available higher-income) to the September 23, 2025 regular business meeting for final action. Passed 4-3 (AYES: Fantroy-Johnson, Quitslund, Schneider, Mathews; NOES: Deets, Hytopoulos, Moriwaki). The item will be on the regular agenda, not the consent agenda.
Committee Reports
Councilmembers reported on various meetings and events: Councilmember Deets highlighted a potential affordable housing site at 251 Winslow Way West (owner willing to sell to the city). Councilmember Fantroy-Johnson attended the Nordic Cottages ribbon-cutting in Poulsbo and commended the Planning Commission for a seven-and-a-half-hour meeting. Councilmember Moriwaki noted an upcoming Housing Resources Bainbridge event. Councilmember Schneider updated on the Regional Transportation Plan funding gap (21% shortfall, $78 billion) and the need to prioritize maintenance. Councilmember Quitslund participated in a Kitsap County affordable housing funding committee. Mayor Mathews mentioned the Creative Thread Festival.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 7:58 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Recording in progress I'm calling to order the city council study session for Tuesday, September sixteenth, twenty twenty-five. City clerk, would you uh call the role, please? Yes, thank you. Christine Brown, City Clerk. Please take for the record if you're present after I call your name. Mayor Matthews present. Deputy Mayor Clickland. Present. Councilmember Deeds. Present. Councilmember Fat More Johnson. Present. Councilmember Hytopless. Present. Councilmember Morrowacki. Present. Councilmember Schneider. Present. Thank you. We also have with us the city manager Blair King and the Deputy City Attorney Andrew Tzoming. Other staff members will be part of the program. I'll begin with land acknowledgement. We begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is within the ancestral territory of the people of Clear Salt Water, Suquamish people. Expert fishermen, canoe builders and basket weavers. The Sequamish live in harmony with the lands and waterways along Washington's Central Salish Sea, as they have for thousands of years. Here the Sequamish live and protect the land and waters of their ancestors for future generations, as promised by the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855. May I have a motion to approve the agenda? Councilmember Wallawaki. Thank you, Devin Mayor Quitslin. I move to approve tonight's city council study session agenda as presented. Second, second by uh Councilmember Fantroy Johnson. Are there any conflicts of interest to disclose? Oh, yes, we'll vote. Yes. Yes. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed. So ordered. Are there any conflicts of interest? Okay. We have a fairly simple agenda with one item, the third item uh that will call for some discussion. And uh we'll proceed to that. Um, would you like to introduce the first item receiving a presentation on the 30% design for the Kit Sop Transit Park? Uh yes, thank you, uh Deputy Mayor. We have some guests with us uh today from Kids Up Transit. Uh they will present the work that they're doing on a park and ride lot at Day Road. Uh there is a motion for the council to consider at a future point in time.
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