Planning Commission Regular Meeting - April 9, 2026
Planning Commission Regular Meeting - April 9, 2026
The Bainbridge Island Planning Commission met to discuss updates to the Winslow Subarea Plan, Comprehensive Plan, and implementing code amendments. The main focus was on Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in the Ferry and High School Road districts and their impact on affordable housing and state compliance. The commission also considered designating a candidate countywide growth center and a park overlay district.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the agenda (6-0).
- Approved the March 18, 2026 meeting minutes (5-0, Commissioner Preudhomme abstaining).
- Approved the March 26, 2026 meeting minutes (5-0, Commissioner Preudhomme abstaining).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made.
Discussion Items
- Planning Director's Report: FAR, Park Zone, and Growth Center Designation – Planning Director Patty Charnas presented dwelling unit calculations comparing a base FAR of 1.0 (99 units above the state requirement) versus the existing base FAR of 0.5 (Ferry) and 0.3 (High School Road), which resulted in a 420-unit deficit. Commissioners debated multiple options: Option 1 (existing base FAR, likely non-compliant), Option 2 (1.0 FAR without restrictions, encouraging market-rate development), and Option 3 (1.0 FAR with a unit size cap and inclusion of all affordable housing tools). Commissioners expressed varied positions: Blossom and Preudhomme supported Option 1 with additional programs to reduce the deficit; Deines and Sullivan favored Option 3 or higher FAR with constraints; Schaab and Garcia were torn but leaned toward Option 3. Several motions failed (3-3, 2-4, etc.). Ultimately, a motion passed 5-1 to provide a memo to the City Council summarizing the three options with the discussion merits. Another motion passed unanimously (6-0) to direct staff to seek feedback from the Department of Commerce on how funding programs and proposed affordable housing regulations (including the mixed-use program, FAR zone program, residential program, and the not-yet-complete mandatory program for larger projects) would be considered for capacity.
- Countywide Growth Center Designation – Director Charnas explained that the designation is required by countywide planning policies and prioritizes federal transportation funding. Commissioner Schaab moved to recommend designating the candidate countywide growth center as depicted on the draft future land use map. Commissioner Blossom opposed, citing unanswered questions about future requirements and transportation funding boundaries. The motion passed 3-1 (Blossom dissenting; Commissioners Deines and Sullivan had excused themselves earlier).
- Park Overlay District – The commission discussed creating a park overlay district instead of a new zone to apply to parks and publicly accessible recreational lands, with standards to be developed later. Commissioner Schaab moved to direct staff to propose a goal and policy in the Comprehensive Plan to create a park overlay district. The motion passed unanimously (4-0; Deines and Sullivan absent).
Key Outcomes
- FAR Recommendation Memo: Motion passed 5-1 (Commissioner Sullivan voting no on his own motion) to send the City Council a memo reflecting the discussion of the three FAR options (existing base, 1.0, and 1.0 with unit size cap and affordability toolkit) with context from the evening's debate.
- Department of Commerce Engagement: Motion passed unanimously (6-0) to direct staff to get feedback from the Department of Commerce on how they would view the city's proposed affordable housing programs and their impact on capacity.
- Countywide Growth Center: Motion passed 3-1 to recommend designating the candidate countywide growth center as depicted on the future land use map.
- Park Overlay District: Motion passed unanimously (4-0) to direct staff to propose a goal and policy in the Comprehensive Plan to create a park overlay district.
- Special Meeting Scheduled: A special meeting was scheduled for April 16, 2026, to review draft code updates.
- Next Steps: The commission deferred the study session on the Winslow Subarea Plan, Comprehensive Plan, and code amendments to the special meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Calling to order the planning commission regular meeting for Thursday, April 9th, 2026, in the Council Chambers. Blossom, Schab, Dinus, Sullivan Garcia with Council Laissons Matthews and Lant in the audience. Moving on to our land acknowledgement. Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation. Oh, here we go. We'd like to begin by acknowledging the land on which we gather is within the ancestral territory of the Sequamish people of clear salt water. 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. With that, we'll move on to the agenda. Can I get a motion to approve it? I move to approve the agenda as presented. Okay. Motion to approve the agenda. Do we have a second? Second. Okay. All those in favor of the agenda as presented, please say aye. Aye. All right. Agenda is accepted. Uh any conflicts of interest to disclose this evening from any of the commissioners. Seeing none, uh, we'll move on to the planning commission meeting minutes of March 18th. Has everyone had a chance to review these minutes? Uh I have not, so I'm gonna abstain. Okay. One clarifying question for Renee, our staff member. Uh were you present at this session? Is not listing a facilitator in the preamble. It lists Commissioner Charnist, or sorry, uh Patty Charnas, uh planning director, planning manager Darren Buchanan, and senior planner Jennifer Sutton, but I seem to recall that you were present on the 18th, were you? Okay, thank you. I just wanted to clarify that. Okay. Do I have a motion to approve the minutes of March 18th? Uh motion to uh I move to approve the minutes for March 18th, 2026. Okay, we have a motion. Second. And a second. Blossom and Dinos. Uh all those in favor of approving the minutes from March 18th, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed? None. Moving on to the minutes of March 26th. Uh same thing here. Okay. If not, take a moment now. Sorry, I had to get the date right. Um I move to approve the March 26, 2026 meeting minutes as presented. Okay, we have a motion. Second.
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