Bainbridge Island Planning Commission Regular Meeting – June 25, 2026

The Bainbridge Island Planning Commission met in Council Chambers and remotely via Zoom on Thursday, June 25, 2026. Acting Chair Cris Garcia called the meeting to order at 6:04 PM and adjourned at 6:44 PM. Commissioners present: Cris Garcia, Alex Preudhomme, Ariel Birtley, and Sean Sullivan. Excused: Sarah Blossom, Ben Deines, and Peter Schaab. Staff present: Planning Manager Darron Buchanan and Planner Brian Brightbill. The agenda included approval of agenda and minutes, public comment, the Planning Manager's report, the Ericksen Historic Preservation Request, and Good of the Order.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda approved unanimously, 4-0, with no conflicts of interest disclosed.
• June 11, 2026 meeting minutes approved unanimously, 4-0, as presented.

Public Comments & Testimony

• One in-person public comment was received. John, a Bainbridge Island History Museum board member, expressed support for the Ericksen historic preservation proposal, describing it as very well prepared and a model for future applications. He noted growing community interest from long-time and newer island residents and supported efforts to revive the Historic Preservation Commission. He also complimented city planning staff and the architectural team.
• No remote public comment was received.

Planning Manager's Report

• Planning Manager Darron Buchanan recognized Commissioner Ariel Birtley's service; this was her last Planning Commission meeting. He thanked her for her work on the Comprehensive Plan and noted that a new commissioner was appointed on Tuesday and is expected at the next meeting. Commissioner Birtley offered parting remarks about her roughly three-and-a-half to four years of service, including work on the Comprehensive Plan and Winslow Sub-area Plan.

Regular Business: Ericksen Historic Preservation Request

• City Planner Brian Brightbill presented the staff review of the request to add 260 Ericksen Avenue NE to the local historic register/registry and approve a small addition to the rear of the house. He explained that the Planning Commission acts as the historic preservation program decision maker and must apply criteria in BIMC 18.24.040 and 18.24.050. The applicant requested that registration be limited to the exterior of the house. Staff found the proposal consistent with the Comprehensive Plan, including Land Use 7.4, and with code criteria; no SEPA review was required, and public notice was sent June 15, 2026, meeting the 10-day noticing requirement.
• Applicant Charlie Wenzlau presented the project, including preserving the original house, removing and rebuilding the existing rear addition and extending it slightly for a code-compliant staircase, adding a new foundation, and creating basement living space. He said the upper house body is in reasonably square condition, while the back porch is unsafe and not original. He described plans for new egress-compliant windows, replacement windows similar in function and muntin placement, a metal standing seam roof, matching siding, and a rusting corrugated metal base.
• Homeowner Jason Van Dwine said he purchased the home from Susan Erickson, daughter of the family who built it, and that preserving the house fulfills a commitment he made to the Erickson family during the sale. He said the listing also provides enduring protection for the property.
• In response to commissioner questions, the applicant said the historic listing can provide zoning relief, in this case FAR relief allowing an additional small cottage on the property, and that the house has physical integrity, with a contractor and structural engineer engaged to straighten and level it.
• Commissioners expressed appreciation for the applicant's investment in preserving historic character and their support for the proposal.

Key Outcomes

• Motion to approve addition to the local historic registry/register: moved by Sullivan, seconded by Preudhomme, carried unanimously 4-0.
• Motion to approve, as presented, the proposal for the extension at the back of the property: moved by Sullivan, seconded by Birtley, carried unanimously 4-0.
• The Planning Commission will sign the certificate/letter of appropriateness, and city staff will proceed with building permit review for the addition.
• Under Good of the Order, Commissioner Sean Sullivan announced he will step down from the Planning Commission later in summer 2026; his wife and he are expecting their third child in August. Commissioners thanked Commissioner Birtley for her service.
• Meeting adjourned at 6:44 PM.

Note: The minutes list Commissioner Sarah Blossom as excused; the raw transcript initially attributes the agenda motion to 'Blossom' before correcting to Birtley. The signed minutes also list Sarah Blossom as Chair.