“We do not want Winslow to be like Pike Place Market in the summer.”

Chantelle Lusebrink summed up what many others were saying at an online public forum regarding the Winslow Subarea Plan Feb. 16. As many as 40 people attended.

City consultants emphasized the update is in the early phases where they are listening and learning through the many public engagement opportunities, such as that one. No plans are finalized, they said, adding the plan won’t be finished until 2024.

They said they’ve met with more than 100 people already and found that housing options for teachers, firefighters, artists, seniors, single moms, working families and others are a major goal of many.

Along with what locals want the consultants also have to take into account regional growth goals of 4,400 more people and 1,900 more jobs for Bainbridge Island over the next 20 years. They asked how much of that should be in Winslow.

Using technology to get as much feedback as possible, they asked attendees to prioritize about 30 issues in an interactive session. By far the responses favored ecological and social aspects over prioritizing building.

The attendees were then broken into smaller groups and asked certain questions.

As to what they want for the future of Winslow, answers included: accessible, intergenerational, art, food, that hometown feel, music, mobility options and green energy.

Lusebrink said she wants a vibrant downtown where people can easily move around.

Four current or former members of the city’s Race Equity Advisory Committee participated.

Olivia Hall said she wants people who work here to be able to live here. Seeing neighbors work in town helps make it a closer community, she added.

Renni Bispham said he would like to see a diverse downtown, so you wouldn’t see just the same kind of people. Those folks need to feel more comfortable coming here, he added.

Deanna Martinez said she’d like to see more diversity in the retail stores and food offerings as now most cater to a certain economic clientele.

Savanna Rovelstad said she wants to see more people live downtown, so that it’s not just a tourist destination.

The next question asked if the Winslow boundary should change.

Lisa Neal said that couldn’t happen because the sewer system is already at its limit. “It can’t take care of the people who live there” now, she said, adding it often overflows and pollutes Puget Sound.

Bispham added the city should “not shoehorn all the growth into Winslow.”

At this point, many quit engaging with the questions and instead filled up the chat area with their opinions about their own agendas.

No one answered a question about where Winslow should build up or out. As to what character of Winslow needs to be preserved, the one answer was not enough public spaces for gatherings. What natural spaces need to be preserved the one answer was more access to the waterfront. And as to transportation’s biggest need, to accommodate e-bikes was the lone answer as time ran out.

A common complaint throughout was how busy Winslow is in summer when tourists are here. When cruise ships send passengers here it’s like a “mob scene,” one person said. Locals don’t even go downtown in summer, another said.

Lusebrink was the voice of reason for the group.

She said BI has a tourism-based economy, so a key to dealing with congestion is to give them access to things to do on other parts of the island. Lusebrink said the city should build up in areas just off Winslow Way and connect areas like the BI Museum of Art, Performing Arts Center, City Hall and Senior Center.

She added the city needs to preserve the character of its historically registered main street. “We have to do to our homework because there are always tradeoffs.”