The Bainbridge Island Planning and Community Development Department will host a meeting from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 14 at Far Bank Enterprises (8500 NE Day Road) to discuss future development of areas zoned for business/industrial activities on the island.

Attendees are encouraged to carpool, as parking is limited. Overflow parking will also be available at Grace Church.

During the meeting, property and business owners and members of the public will have an opportunity to listen, learn and provide input on issues related to existing and possible future land uses and development opportunities in several business/industrial zoned areas.

Such development has been a controversial issue around the island as of late.

At a meeting in September last year, the city council adopted a six-month emergency moratorium on the acceptance, processing and approval of applications for building and land use permits for non-manufacturing uses within the business/industrial zoning district, specified as being “generally located at the vicinity of Day Road and Highway 305 and north of and adjacent to NE New Brooklyn Road.”

Exceptions exist for preexisting uses and vested applications.

Then, during the recent Comprehensive Plan update effort, the council and the planning commission both expressed concerns about the types of nonindustrial, nonlight manufacturing businesses and development that have occurred in areas zoned business/industrial, predominantly at the Coppertop Business Park on Sportsman Club Road.

Although some non-manufacturing uses are currently allowed in the zone, such uses have generally been allowed through a conditional use permit. City officials have been concerned that the increased influx of non-manufacturing business moving into the area would not leave any space for traditional manufacturing uses that are otherwise restricted to the business/industrial zone, however.

Officials have also been worried that like the Coppertop Business Park, the New Brooklyn or Day Road B/I zone areas will become dominated by non manufacturing uses.

The city council is currently discussing extending the moratorium ordinance and will hold a public hearing on the issue at its meeting on Tuesday, March 14.

Extending the moratorium, city officials said, will give staff time to complete public outreach efforts and craft permanent regulations.