Planning Commission Regular Meeting - January 22, 2026

The Bainbridge Island Planning Commission met on Thursday, January 22, 2026, from 6:05 PM to 9:30 PM. Commissioners Blossom, Garcia, Schaab, and Preudhomme were present (Commissioners Birtley, Deines, and Sullivan were absent). The meeting focused on reviewing and making recommendations on the Transportation Element (including the new Island-Wide Mobility Plan) and the Housing Element of the Comprehensive Plan Update. Numerous motions were passed unanimously (4-0) on specific policies, with several motions withdrawn. Public comment raised concerns about process, parking, ferry commuting, and a proposed housing project at the ferry terminal.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Agenda: Motion carried 4-0.
• Minutes from January 8, 2026: Approved as presented, motion carried 4-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Nora Masters (resident since 1994): Opposed the city's planning process, noting that the Winslow Sub-area Plan was removed from code requiring citizen participation. Cited personal commuting experience (23 years by ferry) and stated policies would harm families who rely on parking and ferry access. Asked for data on off-island commuters. Said she would not support levies or bonds unless residents are included.
• Nina Pelton (5-year resident, EBS Drive): Urged the commission not to approve staff-written transportation and housing policies before city council sets goals. Opposed the proposed housing development at the ferry terminal, citing reduced parking, lack of public input, no developer qualifications, a 99-year lease, and potential loss of community character. Asked for meaningful public involvement.
• Priscilla Zimmerman (45-year resident, 16-year Winslow business owner): Called the proposed 625 Winslow Way project at a “premier civic corner” inappropriate, unsustainable, and destructive to downtown infrastructure. Requested a larger conversation.
• Leland Parker (6-year resident, Agate Pass): Criticized lack of communication from the city, stating “nobody knows what the hell is going on,” creating distrust. Opposed the 625 project. Questioned the land acknowledgement practice and asked who decided to include it.
• John Quitsland: Urged the commission to consider housing and transportation together holistically, noting asymmetrical public/private funding and the need to address inequity. Emphasized that for-profit market cannot supply all needed housing.
• Mary Rain (south end resident): Stated that the city had put project planning (e.g., 625 upzoning) ahead of comprehensive planning, leading to a “babysitter” from the Commerce Department. Claimed public feedback on traffic, parking, and location was ignored. Cited parking spillover from Wintergreen development affecting Virginia Mason patients. Urged planning for residents over 65 (40% of island population) and not to put levies before a plan.
• Chair Blossom responded to public comments, clarifying that the commission does not control leases, developer agreements, or levies, and encouraged residents to share concerns with city council. She also noted that Wintergreen is not underparked and that Virginia Mason underparked its own lot. Agreed with Mr. Parker that city communication has been poor.

Discussion Items

Transportation Element & Island-Wide Mobility Plan

• Senior Planner Jennifer Sutton introduced Public Works Director Chris Wierzbicki and Sustainable Transportation Coordinator Hannah Boettcher (via Zoom).
• Boettcher presented recommended updates: mostly semantic changes to emphasize multimodal transportation; adoption of a Safe Systems Approach policy; removal of a policy minimizing street lighting; updating the plan of reference from the Island-Wide Transportation Plan (2017) to the Island-Wide Mobility Plan (merging the Sustainable Transportation Plan).
• New multimodal level of service standards for pedestrians and cyclists were discussed, along with concurrency: the city would only issue permits for growth proportionate to transportation investments. Commissioners questioned the concurrency mechanism; Public Works Director Wierzbicki clarified that the city aims never to reach a point where permits are denied, and that traffic impact fees help fund growth-related projects. The total capital investment for prioritized projects was estimated at roughly $30 million, with $2–5 million spent per biennium.
• Commissioner Garcia advised against converting two-way streets to one-way, citing safety concerns. The commission generally agreed the transportation changes were incremental.

Housing Element

• Senior Planner Sutton presented recommended updates to the Housing Element, integrating the Housing Action Plan and addressing state laws (HB 1220) on housing needs, displacement prevention, and racially disparate impacts.
• The commission reviewed goals and policies line-by-line, making numerous motions (all passed 4-0).
• Key debates included the aspirational target of 35% multifamily (5+ units) in Policy HO 1.4. Commissioner Blossom calculated that 35% would require 4,632 units, far exceeding the city's growth allocation of 1,977 units. The commission voted to strike “5+ unit” and to study a breakdown of 2-4 unit and 5+ unit multifamily housing.
• Goal HO-2 (biennial housing report) was removed; a new policy (HO 1.8) was added to continuously monitor affordable housing creation. The existing HO 2.2 language was revised to be more directive about finding a partner or establishing a fund.
• Policy HO 3.2 was amended to strike “Consider how to” and add “administrative” before “permitting.”
• HO 3.1 was adopted as presented on the screen. The commission also passed a motion to study and update the housing types illustrated in HO 3.1 to include the full array of middle housing types.
• HO 3.8 was adopted as presented at 9:00 PM (language: “Consider adopting a specific middle housing code to encourage such small to mid-sized housing types”). A separate motion was passed to have staff look at a goal or policy on predictable development, including form-based codes.
• The implementation section was reorganized into a matrix format via a passed motion.
• Commissioner Blossom expressed discomfort voting on the Housing Element that evening due to having only 4 commissioners and limited review time, but the discussion proceeded with all motions passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Transportation Element: Motion to recommend updates (including replacement of Island-Wide Transportation Plan with Island-Wide Mobility Plan) carried 4-0.
• Housing Element Motions (all passed 4-0 unless noted):
  • Strike “5+ unit” from Policy HO 1.4.
  • Direct staff to study a breakdown of 2-4 unit and 5+ unit multifamily housing for future presentation.
  • Direct staff to revisit policies HO 2.1 through 2.4 and bring back options for better placement.
  • Rewrite Policy HO 2.2 to be more directive (“find a partner or establish a fund”).
  • Establish Policy HO 1.8: “Continuously monitor the planning and creation of affordable housing units, supportive housing, and emergency shelter in order to reevaluate existing City housing tools and development standards.”
  • Officially remove struck portions of Goal HO-2 and its related policies.
  • Strike “Consider how to” from Policy HO 3.2 and add “administrative” before “permitting.”
  • Adopt Policy HO 3.1 as presented on the screen.
  • Direct staff to study and update the housing types illustrated in Policy HO 3.1 to expand to the full array of middle housing types and revisit arbitrary types like garden apartments or micro-units.
  • Adopt Policy HO 3.8 as presented at 9:00 PM.
  • Direct staff to look at a goal or policy to make future development more predictable and aligned with island values, with one such policy being implementation of a form-based code.
  • Reorganize the housing implementation section as a matrix with supported goals under each action.
• Several motions were withdrawn (relocation of policies under HO-3; changes to HO 3.2 preamble; adoption of HO 3.1 with different wording; changes to HO 3.8 with form-based code language).
• No action was taken on the Housing Element as a whole; it will be revisited at a future meeting. The commission agreed to request earlier distribution of draft elements to allow more review time.