Special City Council Meeting - June 16, 2026: Comprehensive Plan Updates, Housing Element, and Winslow Subarea Plan
Special City Council Meeting - June 16, 2026
The Bainbridge Island City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 9:43 PM in Council Chambers and via Zoom. The meeting focused on revisions to the Comprehensive Plan elements (Transportation, Land Use, Housing) and the Winslow Subarea Plan, with extensive public comment and multiple amendments. Item 6.C (Ordinance 2026-05 on implementing regulations) was postponed.
Consent Calendar
- Agenda Approval: The agenda was modified to pull item 6.C (Ordinance 2026-05) at the request of the Interim City Manager. Approved unanimously (7-0).
- Minutes Approval: Approved as part of consent agenda.
- Schedule Special Meetings: A special business meeting and executive session were scheduled for June 30. Approved.
- Approve Accounts Payable: Approved.
- Items Removed for Discussion:
- 4.C – Budget Increase ($133,000 REET) for Eagle Harbor Drive Safety & Wyatt Way Improvements: Unanimously approved (7-0) to replace reduced TIB grant funds.
- 4.D – Budget Amendment ($80,000 Water Fund) for Eagle Harbor Drive Water Main Replacement: Unanimously approved (7-0) to cover unexpected underground utility conflicts and added fire hydrants.
- 4.E – Transportation Element & Island-Wide Mobility Plan: Approved 6-1, with Councilmember Nelson opposing due to cost concerns and prioritization.
- 4.F – Land Use Element: Approved 6-1 (Nelson opposed) after adding a new Land Use Action 10 directing staff to develop park zoning standards in cooperation with BIMPRD and Planning Commission (original motion passed 7-0; final approval 6-1).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Julie Rosenblatt spoke against city intervention in private parking (referencing TNC) and urged focus on the housing crisis.
- David Kotz expressed full support for affordable housing and suggested a parking garage with housing above.
- Rob Drury raised conflict-of-interest concerns regarding Councilmember Schneider and called for review of financial disclosures.
- Sherry Eckert (Key Apartments renter) described the emotional impact of the recent sale and asked for quantified affordable housing goals and renter protections.
- Lydia Henning (Livable Bainbridge) supported higher bonus FARs (3 and 4) and base FAR of 1.0 to meet housing targets.
- Bevan Taylor (Livable Bainbridge) read a statement urging restoration of February land capacity analysis values, warning that current direction reduces capacity below requirements.
- Mira Rosenkotz expressed disappointment and urged bold action for affordable housing.
- Sharon Ostenson and Meg Kyber (Key Apartments residents) shared fears of displacement after the sale, with projected 10% annual rent increases.
- Dennis Gawlik promoted Juneteenth and Pride Festival events.
- Elise Wright (longtime resident) urged council to act decisively on affordable housing after decades of obstruction.
- Marsha Cutting (reading for Theresa Song) described personal struggles finding housing and called for concrete affordability measures.
Discussion Items
6.A – Housing Element Revisions
Council debated and voted on several amendments before approving the element for the public hearing draft:
- Policy HO 2.1 amended to add strategies for preserving naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) with property owners and real estate professionals. Approved 7-0.
- Motion to restore all development regulations to February LCA values (including base FAR 1.0 in Central Core, Ferry, High School Road zones) passed 4-3 after a motion to table failed 3-4. Councilmembers Nelson, Lant, and Deputy Mayor Hytopoulos voted against.
- New Policy HO 2.4 added to consider assistance for residents displaced by redevelopment, property taxes, or loss of affordable housing. Approved 7-0.
- New Policy HO 2.5 added to consider prohibiting rent-pricing software and algorithmic rent-setting. Approved 6-0 (Fantroy-Johnson absent).
- Motion to direct staff to re-evaluate utilization rates for inclusionary zoning including nonprofits approved 6-0 (Fantroy-Johnson absent).
- Proposed Policy HO 8.6 on accessible multifamily housing withdrawn by Councilmember Mathews.
- Final motion to approve revisions to the Housing Element approved 6-0 (Nelson absent).
6.B – Winslow Subarea Plan & Ordinance 2026-04
Council considered numerous amendments over ~90 minutes, then forwarded the plan to a future meeting for final approval:
- Goal OS 1 amended to strengthen open space, parks, gathering places, and trails. Approved 7-0.
- New policy after LU 1.A directing Planning Commission to review R-0.4 zones on water/sewer for upzoning. Approved 5-2 (Nelson, Hytopoulos opposed).
- New Policy LU 4.E (transition standards at mixed-use/residential boundaries) approved 4-3 (Mayor, Mathews, Fantroy-Johnson opposed).
- Motion to change “designate” to “consider designating” in Policy LU 1.C (countywide growth center) failed 3-4.
- Policy LU 5.H amended to add public laundry. Approved 7-0.
- Policies LU 13.A and 13.B added to protect the ravine and historical Ericksen Ave features. Approved 7-0.
- Motion to strike Policy LU 3.C (minimum density) failed 2-5.
- Motion to replace “is necessary” with “should be constructed” in Policy LU 8.D (parking facility) failed 2-5.
- Bases for bonus FAR in LU 8.F deleted (open space, public amenities, tree preservation, smaller units, green building) – approved 4-3 (Mayor, Mathews, Fantroy-Johnson opposed).
- Motion to strike Policy LU 8.B (reduce/eliminate parking minimums) failed 3-4.
- Policy LU 9.B amended to add wayfinding and informational signage. Approved 7-0.
- FAR discussion section restored before LU 8.E, with staff to update figures. Approved 7-0.
- Policy LU 12.C revised from “Permit” to “Consider permitting” for increased height in CCCO – approved 4-3 (Mayor, Mathews, Fantroy-Johnson opposed).
- Goal OS 6 amended to include coordination with BIMPRD and nonprofits. Approved 7-0.
- Policy LU 4.B restored language to remain sensitive to district character. Approved 6-1 (Fantroy-Johnson opposed).
- LU 8.E and 8.G amended to add water and sewer to infrastructure studies. Both approved 5-2 (Mathews, Fantroy-Johnson opposed).
- “Internment” changed to “incarceration” in history section and Policy LU 10.A. Approved 7-0.
- Motion to forward plan to future meeting approved 6-1 (Nelson opposed).
6.C – Ordinance 2026-05 (Implementing Regulations)
Postponed to a future meeting at the request of the Interim City Manager, who noted the land capacity analysis memo needed further work.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda Items 4.C and 4.D approved unanimously.
- Transportation Element approved 6-1 (Nelson dissenting).
- Land Use Element approved 6-1 (Nelson dissenting) with addition of Land Use Action 10 on park zoning.
- Housing Element approved 6-0 (Nelson absent) with several substantive amendments including restored FAR values, anti-displacement and anti-rent-setting policies, and directions to study nonprofits’ participation in inclusionary zoning.
- Winslow Subarea Plan forwarded to a future meeting for final consideration after numerous policy amendments.
- Meeting adjourned at 9:43 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Recording in progress. Yeah, we have another I'd like to call tonight's special city council meeting Tuesday, June 16, 2026 to order. And will the clerk please call the roll? Yes, thank you, Mayor. Christine Brown, City Clerk. Please state for the record if you're present after I call your name. Mayor Morwaki. Present. Deputy Mayor Hytopolis. Present. Councilmember Matthews. Present. Councilmember Fantroy Johnson. Present. Councilmember Land. Present. Councilmember Schneider? Present. Councilmember Nelson. Present. Thank you. Well, President Accountant Form. Will we please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? Under God. Thank you. And tonight we will the land acknowledgement will be read by Fina? She's a ninth grader at Bainbridge High School. And her mother, Sydney, is here. Every part of this soul is sacred to the in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove has been hollowed out by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Chief Seattle, 1854. We would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is within the ancestral territory of the Sucomish people. People of the Clear Salt Water. As I had, as they have for thousands of years. Here the Sequamish people live and protect the land and waters of their ancestors for future generations, as promised by the Elliot Point Elliott Treaty of 1855. Thank you. Simply says thank you. The City of Bainbridge Island thanks Vina Theo for her contribution and reading the Sequamish land acknowledgement at the June 16, 2026 City Council meeting. Your words help us honor the richly complex history and continued presence of indigenous peoples in our community. Staff would like to request that we pull item C off of regular business, the development regulations, and accompanying staff uh land capacity analysis memo. It's come to my attention that the information in the memo needs a little bit more work. I apologize for staff's um inability to provide you with the level of information that you need to have this conversation and we're working on it. We'll bring it back to you as soon as it's ready. So appreciate it if you pull that item from the agenda today. So I accept a motion to have the tonight's agenda with item C uh pulled from the list. I move to um have the agenda as modified. Any further discussion? All in favor, please. All in favor please uh is this question point of order for me? Yeah, is this the time to point uh pull other items from the consent agenda?
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