Bainbridge Island Planning Commission Regular Meeting — September 24, 2026

The Bainbridge Island Planning Commission met on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers at 280 Madison Ave N, Bainbridge Island, WA, and remotely via Zoom. The commission received the Interim Planning Director's report, unanimously recommended the 2027-2028 Planning Commission Work Plan to the City Council, and unanimously recommended approval of two administrative departure requests for the Blackberries Short Plat. The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:57 PM, about 55 minutes ahead of schedule.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to speak, and no one in the audience indicated a wish to comment. Public comment closed with no testimony offered.

Planning Director's Report

• Interim Planning Director Emily Terrell reported that the City Council approved Contract Amendment #3 with LMN Strategic Economics and EA and the environmental engineers for just over $307,000, bringing total Comprehensive Plan consultant costs to approximately $1.4 million. Of that amount, $49,000 covers work performed but not yet paid, and nearly $100,000 is contingency in the event a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) is needed.
• Consultants reviewed the February land capacity analysis (LCA) incorporating mandatory inclusionary zoning assumptions for the SEIS work. Residential impacts appear covered; transportation remains the only uncertain area, with transportation consultant Farrin Pears expected to provide an opinion around October 1.
• The September LCA, with and without mandatory inclusionary zoning, shows the city can meet its buildable lands residential targets in both cases. However, the results arrived after the agenda was published and could not be formally presented; the City Council will not meet again until October 13 (the September 29 and early October meetings were canceled).
• Consultants lean 80–90% toward the conclusion that an SEIS may not be required, potentially saving about six months. In response to a commissioner's question, Director Terrell clarified that the Final EIS (FEIS) is absolutely necessary regardless; the open question is whether a six-month SEIS detour occurs before completing the FEIS.
• Vice Chair Blossom identified an error in the Winslow plan mapping: parcels previously approved by the commission were omitted from the map and model. Staff's internal review suggests the omission involves roughly 10 residential units and is unlikely to affect the SEIS; the time cost of re-running the model is unknown, and the consultant is on vacation until the following week.

Discussion Items — 2027-2028 Planning Commission Work Plan

• The commission discussed priority scores, noting that the voluntary and mandatory inclusionary zoning line items and the form-based codes for middle housing each scored 26. Members generally agreed not to over-segment priorities, and that sequencing should be guided by council priorities, available resources, and level of effort. Low-scoring items should remain in the backlog rather than be dropped.
• Commissioner Peter moved to recommend the 2027-2028 Planning Commission Work Plan to the City Council for approval; Commissioner Ben seconded. The commission emphasized that the recommendation seeks council input and feedback on priorities.
• The motion passed unanimously with no opposition. One commissioner noted this was the first time the commission had developed and presented a work plan to council in their six years on the commission.

Discussion Items — Blackberries Short Plat Administrative Departure Requests

• Planner Victoria Lewelling, the city's project manager, presented two administrative departure requests for the Blackberries Short Plat, located north of Wyatt Way and west of Madison Avenue in R 4.3 zoning. The first departure would allow buildings greater than 1,600 square feet to be attached with a zero lot line setback from building to home site boundary, affecting the two southern lots. The second would allow the same model and elevation to be built next to each other, affecting three lots. The existing two-lot plat (single-family home and garage) would become a four-lot plat.
• Applicant Charlie Winslow described the project as a "micro community" providing missing-middle, small-footprint housing near the Winslow town center: six similar units (three primary residences with attached ADUs) plus a single-family house at the rear where the owner will reside. He argued the departures improve the layout by eliminating unusable six-foot building separations, creating green space along a new pedestrian path, protecting two existing trees, and improving energy efficiency through attached construction. He noted the site sits at the edge of the mixed-use town center adjacent to attached housing such as Grow Community, and that a five-foot hedge would screen the street frontage.
• In response to commissioner questions, Mr. Winslow stated the units could be sold individually, including the ADUs, through a condominium structure; that the units have the potential to serve as teacher housing but involve no formal commitment to the affordable housing program; and that the R-4 zoning permits only four lots, and administrative departures cannot be used to change underlying density.
• Vice Chair Blossom expressed concern that the departures do not strictly comply with the purpose and intent of the departure criteria and that the staff report's justification is "a bit of a stretch." She nonetheless supported the request, citing that the parcel was specifically in mind when the connection zone boundary was adjusted (had that change occurred, the subdivision code would not apply), that the original intent of the 1,600-square-foot threshold was to incentivize small homes, and that the applicant's proposal results in a better subdivision. She suggested the code may need amendment to provide a pathway for such development in the future.
• Commissioner Alex supported the proposal as a pragmatic approach, noting the property is caddy cornered to the core district and across from Grove Avenue, and that retaining single-family housing at the rear responds to the existing R 4.3 neighborhood.
• A motion to recommend that the Planning Director approve both administrative departure requests passed unanimously. Commissioner Dynas recused himself from this item due to a conflict of interest.

Good of the Order

• Director Terrell noted that state law requires the city to adopt the "unit lot subdivision" process within a couple of years, presenting an opportunity to revise the subdivision code so this type of development does not require departures. She also stated that, as part of ordinance 202605, the commission will receive the full list of state-mandated requirements due through the current GMA compliance declaration in the coming months, with unit lot subdivisions and child care centers as the two longer-horizon items.
• Commissioner John, the newest commission member, shared a point of personal privilege: the first message he received in his official mailbox contained a direct and gratuitous reference to his sexual orientation. He stated that he is a gay man and proud of that fact, that such remarks hurt and have no place in the city's public life, and that he accepted the sender's immediate apology. He urged everyone to choose words carefully, observing that having the right to use hurtful epithets does not make it right or productive.

Key Outcomes

• The commission unanimously recommended the 2027-2028 Planning Commission Work Plan to the City Council for approval with feedback.
• The commission unanimously recommended that the Planning Director approve both administrative departure requests for the Blackberries Short Plat (Commissioner Dynas recused).
• No public comment was received.
• The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:57 PM, about 55 minutes early.