OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Bainbridge Island Planning Commission Regular Meeting Summary – March 12, 2026

Planning Commission — Thursday, March 12, 2026
BodyBainbridge Island, Washington
SessionPlanning Commission
DateThursday, March 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:39:51

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

All right, we'll start with the approval of the agenda.

0:06

Do I have a motion to approve our agenda this evening?

0:10

Uh move to approve the agenda as presented second.

0:16

All right, we have a motion by Blossom, second by Dynas uh to approve the agenda.

0:23

Uh all in favor?

0:25

Say aye.

0:26

Aye.

0:27

All opposed.

0:29

Vote is unanimous.

0:31

Uh next up, any conflicts of interest to disclose.

0:37

Seeing none.

0:38

Now we move forward to the planning commission minutes, meeting minutes.

0:43

Uh do we just check here of March 12th?

0:50

Or actually sorry, it's uh approve the minutes of February 26th.

0:54

Do we have any comments or corrections?

0:58

Motion to approve.

1:04

February 26th.

1:08

I move to accept the excuse me.

1:10

I move to accept the meeting minutes from February 26 as presented.

1:15

Second.

1:16

We have a motion by Dynas, seconded by Schab to uh approve the minutes of the February 26, 2026 session as presented.

1:24

All those in favor.

1:27

Unanimous.

1:28

Uh at this time we are joined by Commissioner Bertley.

1:31

Welcome.

1:34

All right.

1:36

So moving on to public comment.

1:41

Uh members of the public are encouraged to submit written comment to the planning commission at any time by emailing PCD at BainbridgeWAW.gov.

1:49

Members of the public who wish to provide public comment in person at a planning commission meeting should sign up to speak on the sign-in sheet by the chamber doors.

1:56

The planning commission chair will call the people signed up on the sign-in sheet, and speakers will have up to three minutes to speak from the podium.

2:03

Please speak directly into the modium, which is adjustable.

2:06

A timer on the screen will indicate when three minutes has elapsed.

2:10

Orderly behavior and civility and remarks is expected with no clapping or booing and no yielding of one person's time to one another to another person.

2:19

Guidelines for public comment are provided.

2:22

Uh remote public comment is allowed with advanced notice to the planning and community development department by noon on the date of the meeting at PCD at Bainbridge WA.gov, provided that all remote commenters shall be required to display their true names and to keep their camera turned on to show their true uncovered face while delivering their comments.

2:40

Public comment is not accepted during the balance of the planning commission meeting unless a public hearing or public participate participation meeting is on the agenda.

2:50

All right.

2:54

So first up uh to this evening, Benjamin Harrison.

2:59

Please come to the microphone.

3:07

Good evening, Planning Commission.

3:09

My name is Benjamin Harrison.

3:10

I'm a resident of Rolling Bay and a member of the Environmental Technical Advisory Committee.

3:14

I'm here tonight to offer brief comments on the water resources element.

3:18

I think my comments at your previous meeting may still be under consideration.

3:23

I I appreciate that Director Weirs Becky was going to look into the policy I flagged at that last meeting.

3:30

So I'll try to keep my statements night brief and not too redundant.

3:34

I have four points I'll identify by policy number on the water resources element.

3:41

Policy WR 1.5.

3:45

There's a on the recommended edits from staff discusses removing the term fecal call form and replacing it simply with bacteria.

3:59

I recommend adding the qualifier pathogenic onto bacteria.

4:03

There are many aggregations or collections of bacteria that are benign.

4:09

So I don't and most of my recommendations are not going to be so uh sort of on the lines of line edits.

4:16

That's a little bit nitpicky, but I thought that important to raise while you're discussing the uh water resources element.

4:25

Existing policy WR 2.4.

4:27

This is the one that I have flagged at your last meeting.

4:30

The call to have a hydrologic impact report for activities or development should be retained if modified.

4:37

This is a concern that a report should be prepared for a particular activity to look at impacts to groundwater uh resources.

5:00

This in the past has been more directed towards water quality than water quantity, and there are important ways in which permitting processes can and should be reformed for that purpose, but it is still important within the water resources element to have an impact statement facilitated and emphasized because it's very important to have that information connected to any particular proposed activity.

5:19

Policy WR2.11 names the utility advisory committee for out in the um water resources element concerning sustainable yields in the face of climate change.

5:35

So uh it names the utility advisory committee as a resource to engage with for community outreach and education.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Comprehensive Planning██████████████████18%
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████████17%
Land Use Planning████████████████16%
Procedural██████████████14%
Transportation Safety███████7%
Groundwater Management█████5%
Public Engagement█████5%
Housing█████5%
Active Transportation█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Bainbridge Island Planning Commission Regular Meeting Summary – March 12, 2026

The Bainbridge Island Planning Commission met on Thursday, March 12, 2026, from approximately 6:02 PM to 9:44 PM in Council Chambers and via Zoom. Vice Chair Criss Garcia presided. The Commission approved routine items, reviewed and amended the Water Resources, Transportation, and Housing Elements of the Comprehensive Plan Update, and held a public hearing on Comprehensive Plan Amendment PLN 52984 (Hagger Scribner Policy Amendments, also referred to as the Civic & Cultural Connection Overlay). Commissioner Preudhomme was excused; Commissioner Sullivan left before the public hearing.

Consent Calendar

  • The agenda was approved 5-0, with Commissioner Birtley absent; no conflicts of interest were disclosed.
  • The February 26, 2026 meeting minutes were approved unanimously, 6-0.

Interim City Manager's Report

  • Interim City Manager Ellen Schroer introduced herself, thanked the Commission for its work on the Comprehensive Plan, and noted the plan should move to City Council in May.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Benjamin Harrison, a Rolling Bay resident and member of the Environmental Technical Advisory Committee, recommended adding pathogenic before bacteria in Policy WR 1.5, retaining WR 2.4 language on hydrologic impact assessment, adding the Climate Change Advisory Committee and Environmental Technical Advisory Committee to WR 2.11, and adding increased retention of winter precipitation to WR 2.3.
  • A resident named Ron urged the Commission to require the city to exceed NPDES permit requirements, arguing the current permit allows much untreated stormwater to reach Puget Sound.
  • During the public hearing on PLN 52984, Ron Allen, John Goodson, Priscilla Zimmerman, architect Charles Winslow, and Alice Charrett expressed support for creating the Civic & Cultural Connection Overlay, citing pedestrian connectivity, diverse housing, open space, and parking opportunities.

Discussion Items

Water Resources Element

  • Unanimously added pathogenic before bacteria in Policy WR 1.5.
  • A motion asking staff to further define degradation of water resources in Goal WR-1 failed on a 3-3 vote.
  • Unanimously amended Goal WR-1 bullet 3 to say new development and existing uses and strike population growth in the language about managing water resources.
  • Unanimously restored and amended WR 2.4 to require that existing publicly available data on anticipated hydrologic impacts be submitted through the permit process, with activities or development potentially restricted if the data indicates adverse impacts.
  • Unanimously restored and amended WR 2.9 to recognize the island aquifer system as an EPA-designated sole-source aquifer and to maintain and evaluate aquifer conservation zones as an added level of development review.
  • Unanimously added the Climate Change Advisory Committee and Environmental Technical Advisory Committee to Policy WR 2.11.
  • Unanimously amended WR 2.3 to include increased retention of winter precipitation as an aquifer recharge opportunity.
  • Unanimously amended WR 4.1 to comply with, or exceed NPDES requirements.
  • Unanimously directed staff to identify language allowing the city to create a pathway to exceed Minimum Effort Activities under the NPDES permit in WR 4.13.
  • Unanimously added a new policy advocating that the Washington State Department of Health review and revise on-site septic standards for accessory dwelling units to remove barriers to small housing typologies.
  • Unanimously recommended the Water Resources Element, as amended, to the City Council.

Transportation Element

  • A motion asking staff to balance on-street versus off-street facility prioritization was withdrawn after discussion.
  • Unanimously replaced all instances of non-motorized with active transportation in both the Transportation Element and the Island-wide Mobility Plan.
  • Unanimously amended the Climate Change section to refer to transit plan and active transportation plan.
  • Unanimously amended TR 2.7 to apply NACTO and AASHTO standards when appropriate.
  • Unanimously added language acknowledging planned ferry electrification to TR 3.4.
  • Unanimously added language acknowledging and supporting planned Kitsap Transit Bus Rapid Transit and demonstrating coordination of land use and transportation planning in support of BRT service in TR 4.2.
  • Unanimously added TR 2.8 language to perform a balanced review of off-road and on-road facilities when considering connectivity gaps and opportunities.
  • Unanimously continued discussion of the Transportation Element and Island-wide Mobility Plan to the next available public Planning Commission meeting with relevant staff, with the Mobility Plan clearly noticed on the agenda and in packet materials.

Housing Element

  • Unanimously amended Policy HO 10.1 to read: Consider increasing residential density in designated center with sewer infrastructure, existing or planned.
  • Staff agreed to restore a cropped legend on a housing targets diagram; commissioner questions about HO 8.4 were deferred.
  • The remaining Housing Element review was left incomplete, with commissioners discussing potentially taking it up at a future meeting.

Public Hearing and Deliberations – PLN 52984, Hagger Scribner Policy Amendments

  • Senior Planner Jennifer Sutton summarized the application, noting Hagger Scribner Properties submitted the policy amendment during the triennial Comprehensive Plan amendment cycle and that the Civic & Cultural Connection Overlay concept had been discussed during the 2025 Winslow Sub-area Plan work. Cultural element policies were scheduled for the March 18 special meeting.
  • Applicant representative Kim McCormick asked for goal language to create the overlay rather than only consider it, while emphasizing the applicant was not requesting development regulations at this time. Architect Henry Zimmerman presented the area's unique topography, pedestrian pathways, parking opportunities, and housing potential.
  • Deliberations:
    • Unanimously rescinded prior Planning Commission motions on the Civic & Cultural Connection Overlay goals and policies, 5-0, with Commissioner Sullivan absent.
    • Unanimously directed staff to seek a definitive answer on whether adopting a comprehensive plan or Winslow Sub-area Plan goal or policy calling for a new overlay district, program, or work plan item would require boundaries, development standards, program details, or work plan details to be fully defined and adopted along with the plan adoption, 5-0.
    • Unanimously agreed to incorporate LU Goal XX and Policies WMP 2-12.1 through 2-12.4, as shown on page 103 of the agenda packet, into the Comprehensive Plan and Winslow Sub-area Plan only if their incorporation would not require the Civic & Cultural Connection Overlay boundaries and development standards to be fully defined and adopted with the 2024 revisions, 5-0.

Key Outcomes

  • The Water Resources Element was recommended to the City Council as amended.
  • Transportation Element and Island-wide Mobility Plan discussion was continued to a later noticed meeting; staff indicated the Mobility Plan would be scheduled for the March 26 meeting alongside the Capital Facilities Element.
  • The Planning Commission made a conditional recommendation to incorporate the Civic & Cultural Connection Overlay goal and policies, pending legal or staff confirmation on concurrent adoption requirements.
  • The public hearing closed at 9:06 PM, and the meeting adjourned at 9:44 PM.

Meeting Transcript

All right, we'll start with the approval of the agenda. Do I have a motion to approve our agenda this evening? Uh move to approve the agenda as presented second. All right, we have a motion by Blossom, second by Dynas uh to approve the agenda. Uh all in favor? Say aye. Aye. All opposed. Vote is unanimous. Uh next up, any conflicts of interest to disclose. Seeing none. Now we move forward to the planning commission minutes, meeting minutes. Uh do we just check here of March 12th? Or actually sorry, it's uh approve the minutes of February 26th. Do we have any comments or corrections? Motion to approve. February 26th. I move to accept the excuse me. I move to accept the meeting minutes from February 26 as presented. Second. We have a motion by Dynas, seconded by Schab to uh approve the minutes of the February 26, 2026 session as presented. All those in favor. Unanimous. Uh at this time we are joined by Commissioner Bertley. Welcome. All right. So moving on to public comment. Uh members of the public are encouraged to submit written comment to the planning commission at any time by emailing PCD at BainbridgeWAW.gov. Members of the public who wish to provide public comment in person at a planning commission meeting should sign up to speak on the sign-in sheet by the chamber doors. The planning commission chair will call the people signed up on the sign-in sheet, and speakers will have up to three minutes to speak from the podium. Please speak directly into the modium, which is adjustable. A timer on the screen will indicate when three minutes has elapsed. Orderly behavior and civility and remarks is expected with no clapping or booing and no yielding of one person's time to one another to another person. Guidelines for public comment are provided. Uh remote public comment is allowed with advanced notice to the planning and community development department by noon on the date of the meeting at PCD at Bainbridge WA.gov, provided that all remote commenters shall be required to display their true names and to keep their camera turned on to show their true uncovered face while delivering their comments. Public comment is not accepted during the balance of the planning commission meeting unless a public hearing or public participate participation meeting is on the agenda. All right. So first up uh to this evening, Benjamin Harrison. Please come to the microphone. Good evening, Planning Commission. My name is Benjamin Harrison. I'm a resident of Rolling Bay and a member of the Environmental Technical Advisory Committee. I'm here tonight to offer brief comments on the water resources element. I think my comments at your previous meeting may still be under consideration. I I appreciate that Director Weirs Becky was going to look into the policy I flagged at that last meeting. So I'll try to keep my statements night brief and not too redundant. I have four points I'll identify by policy number on the water resources element. Policy WR 1.5. There's a on the recommended edits from staff discusses removing the term fecal call form and replacing it simply with bacteria. I recommend adding the qualifier pathogenic onto bacteria.

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