The Bainbridge Island City Council was set to receive updates on the Senior/Community Center, sea level rise, Winslow and Comprehensive plans and Winslow Circulator at its meeting July 16, after this newspaper’s deadline.
The center PowerPoint presentation shows that it is a six-minute walk to many spots around Winslow, including City Hall. It showed three alternatives: Option A removes the existing building and would be in the center of the lot, Option B retains the building and is on the west side of the lot, and Option C retains part of the building and would be east on the lot.
Advantages of preferred Option A include: water view, minimizes tree removal, maximizes parking, no playground re-location, no third floor, efficient floor plan, efficient parking garage and minimizes garage excavation. The existing building is 7,725 square feet, while the preferred one is 17,220 square feet.
The council previously was concerned that no senior housing was included in the plan. However, this version shows two areas around the center that eventually could lead to 56 housing units.
As for transit, the city’s vision for 2045 shows a high-quality network can create a more equitable, affordable and connected BI. It envisions both an inner island and Winslow circulator that will have a regular route but can be flexible to meet customer needs with on-demand services.
The plan envisions mobility hubs to transfer from different transportation models to reduce emissions. Those could include: bus shelters, bike parking, shared electric bikes and scooters, charging stations, loading zones, and walking and biking connections.
As for sea level rise, that presentation shows BI has over 50 miles of marine shoreline, and areas that flood now will flood more frequently with deeper waters. The flood risk will expand to additional areas, and groundwater levels will rise. More flooding could slow emergency service response times, and tsunami inundation is greater than sea-level-rise flooding.
It also shows that 2.7 miles on BI are at risk of being in the 100-year flood zone. In the next 50 years, with a 2-foot sea-level rise, those same roads will be at risk of flooding in a 10-year storm, while over half-a-mile more of roads will be at risk of flooding in a 100-year storm. With a 5-foot sea-level rise in 100 years, those roads will likely flood annually, with another 1 1/2 miles flooding in a 100-year storm. Sewer and other infrastructure also are at risk. Areas of concern include Manitou Beach Drive, Yeomalt Point, Eagle Harbor Road, Lynwood Center and Crystal Springs Drive.
As for the Comp and Winslow plans, the draft environmental impact statement is being finalized for July 26. Staff will discuss the outreach and engagement plans for the public, which extends to Oct. 10. Staff was to discuss alternatives focused mostly on business/industrial and neighborhood centers. Those alternatives were developed using public comments and city plans.
