Planning Commission Regular Meeting – September 25, 2025

The Bainbridge Island Planning Commission met on September 25, 2025, at 6:03 PM in Council Chambers and via Zoom. Chair Sarah Blossom presided, with Commissioners Criss Garcia, Alex Preudhomme, Peter Schaab, Ben Deines, and Ariel Birtley (arrived at 6:17 PM) present. Commissioner Sean Sullivan was absent and excused. The meeting focused on continued discussion of the Winslow Subarea Plan (WSP) goals and policies, along with updates from subcommittees on incentives and development standards. The commission also heard a special public comment from Councilmember Dietz, received a planning director’s report, and addressed process concerns during “For the Good of the Order.”

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Approval: Motion by Schaab, second by Garcia, to approve the agenda as presented. Passed unanimously (5-0).
• Minutes Approval: Motion by Schaab, second by Garcia, to approve the minutes from the August 28, September 3, September 4, and September 11, 2025 meetings. Passed unanimously (5-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Councilmember Jon Quitslund (City Council Liaison) expressed gratitude for the commission’s professionalism and dedication during the previous marathon meeting (approximately 7.5–8 hours). He presented each commissioner with a challenge coin as a token of respect. No remote public comment was received.

Discussion Items

• Planning Director’s Report: Director Patty Charnas thanked the commission for their work and noted upcoming absences (she will be on vacation for a month; Darren Buchanan will serve as acting director). She reported on a Department of Commerce webinar regarding three key questions: (1) religious-owned properties and affordable housing density bonuses – the city will send letters to 19 religious entities to gauge interest; (2) capital facilities planning for a second sewer plant – Commerce confirmed that a 20‑year financing plan is required under GMA; (3) upzoning areas without municipal sewer – Commerce stated such upzoning is permissible but may serve middle‑to‑upper affordability levels because multifamily units below 80% AMI typically require sewer. She also noted that the vacant planning manager position will be re‑advertised in October and that a fourth October meeting (Oct 30) has been added to the schedule.

• Continued Discussion on Winslow Subarea Plan Updates (Items 6a & 6b): Consultant Joe Tovar introduced subcommittee reports.

  • Incentives Subcommittee (Commissioner Garcia): Reported that the subcommittee has met three times and is developing a framework for affordable housing incentives. A detailed presentation is scheduled for the October 2 meeting. Commissioner Deines emphasized the need to engage the local development community (e.g., builders, Housing Resources Bainbridge) and to consider the challenge of serving households between 80% and 120% AMI (the “workforce housing” gap). Commissioner Garcia noted the subcommittee will propose pairings of tools to serve all income levels. Commissioner Birtley raised concerns about the focus on middle housing versus the state’s 1220 mandate, which requires the largest allocation for lower income brackets: 543 units at 0–30% AMI, 324 at 31–50% AMI, and 272 at 51–80% AMI. She also discussed funding challenges (e.g., LITEC, USDA 502) and the need to explore partnerships with the school and park districts. The subcommittee agreed to provide a PDF presentation by 3:00 PM the next day for the October 2 packet.
  • Standards Subcommittee (Commissioner Preudhomme): Indicated that the group is meeting again on September 26 and will likely give an oral update on October 2, with a more formal presentation later (targeting October 9). Discussion about packet content and “live” tools (e.g., mapping spreadsheets) ensued, with several commissioners preferring that materials be included in the packet to allow full consideration.

• Winslow Subarea Plan Goals and Policies Review: Senior Planner Jennifer Sutton led the review of remaining goals and policies. Key debates centered on whether certain items should be in the WSP or the citywide Comprehensive Plan (CP) and on the appropriate level of detail (goal vs. policy). Highlights include:

  • SU3 (Sustainability/Resilience): After discussion, the commission moved SU3 to the Comprehensive Plan level (motion Deines/Garcia, unanimous). A separate motion (Preudhomme/Birtley, unanimous) referred development of resilience language specific to Winslow to the Climate Change Advisory Committee.
  • LU2 (Form-Based Code): Consensus that form‑based code is a policy tool that supports housing diversity; it will remain as a policy under Goal LU2 with clarifying text.
  • WMP 3‑1 (Housing): A motion (Birtley/Preudhomme) to approve the goal and its policies as presented passed unanimously. The commission noted that anti‑displacement language will be added later; Commissioner Garcia will share model language.
  • WMP X (New Goal): A new goal (locating housing near services and transit) was adopted (Deines/Schaab, unanimous).
  • Open Space Goal WMP 4‑1: A motion (Garcia/Preudhomme) to accept WMP 4‑1 and its policies as amended (including restoration of policies 4‑1.1 and 4‑1.2) passed unanimously. A subsequent motion (Deines/Birtley) moved policies 4‑1.1 and 4‑1.2 to the Comprehensive Plan and directed the commission to consider additional Winslow‑specific open space policies (e.g., tot lots) in the future; passed unanimously.
  • Policy WMP 4‑2.2 (Waterfront Park): A motion (Garcia/Schaab) to rewrite this policy as a goal, in present tense active voice, and strike the final sentence, passed unanimously.
  • Policies WMP 4‑2 and 4‑2.1 were placed in the parking lot (motion Birtley/Schaab, unanimous).
  • Policies 4‑1.3 (Ravine) and 4‑1.4 (Market Square) were elevated to goal level (motions Garcia/Schaab and Deines/Garcia, respectively, both unanimous). A subsequent motion (Preudhomme/Deines) directed that these new goals have policies drawn from existing language; passed unanimously.
  • Waterfront Trail: A motion (Deines/Birtley) to include the term “boardwalk” in the waterfront park goal to explicitly reference the full extent of the trail, passed unanimously.

• For the Good of the Order: Chair Blossom raised concerns that the ordinance the commission recommended on September 11 (Ordinance 2025‑21) had been amended by city staff/attorney before it was presented to City Council, specifically adding a parking standard that the commission had voted against and removing Mobile Home Park FAR language. She stated this undermined the commission’s process and transparency. Council Liaison Quitslund acknowledged the unease, noting that trust had been strained. Director Charnas explained that the city attorney and executive revised the ordinance, necessitating an additional public hearing at the council level. The commission expressed a desire for clearer communication in future processes.

Key Outcomes

• Approvals: Agenda, minutes, and ten motions on Winslow Subarea Plan goals and policies were all approved unanimously (6‐0 for each as recorded).
• Referrals: The Climate Change Advisory Committee will develop Winslow‑specific resilience language; the Incentives Subcommittee will provide a detailed presentation at the October 2 meeting; the Standards Subcommittee will present later in October.
• Directives: Staff will revise the WSP goals and policies document based on the motions, including new goal language for ravine, market square, and waterfront park, and will prepare a cross‑reference analysis to determine whether certain policies belong in the citywide Comprehensive Plan. Staff will also send letters to religious entities to gauge interest in affordable housing density bonuses.
• Next Steps: The next planning commission meetings are October 2, 9, 23, and 30. The October 2 meeting will include a subcommittee presentation on incentives, an appearance by the Race Equity Advisory Committee, and a high‑level review of Comprehensive Plan goals to inform placement of WSP policies. The commission will also revisit the open space parking lot items and consider anti‑displacement language.
• Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 9:17 PM.