The Bainbridge Island City Council voted 5-2 on a preliminary ordinance to allow Bethany Lutheran Church to have a pilot project that would allow up to 23 affordable housing units on its property.

A public hearing will be set after city staff revises the draft ordinance.

“The generosity of the people involved in this project — it’s just extraordinary,” deputy mayor Clarence Moriwaki said, adding despite comments to the contrary nobody is making money on this.

Councilmember Leslie Schneider said the building density of the project might actually be less than what code would allow right now for market-rate housing. The proposed law would allow religious facilities who want to build affordable housing more density within one-quarter mile of Winslow, and the affordable housing must stay in place for 99 years.

“We have a housing crisis,” mayor Joe Deets said. “Everyone says they want affordable housing, but there is a lot of opposition every time we try to do it.”

He said the city can learn from this project and won’t have to decide on another one for five years. “That puts us in the driver’s seat. No harm is being caused here. But a lot of good could come out of it.”

Councilmember Brenda Fantroy-Johnson agreed. “We try so hard to do everything perfectly,” she said, adding, “We can’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good. We’re just people up here trying to do this the right way.”

Councilmembers Michael Pollock and Kirsten Hytopoulos voted against it. Pollock said part of the ordinance goes beyond the scope of the Bethany project, so it will “have to be reviewed and changed eventually.”

Hytopoulos agreed, saying some of it should be in the Housing Action Plan being worked on instead. She said the idea is to push Bethany ahead because it’s ready to go and the “low hanging fruit.” But she wants more transparency.

She’s especially against increasing density in rural 0.4 zones. “It didn’t look as bad to me until I did the math,” she said, adding most on the council are willing to give up a lot of things for affordable housing, but that’s too much.

She added public trust won’t allow such a huge increase. Plus the state doesn’t want sprawl so density should not be on rural parts of the island.

“We’re guardians of the natural environment,” Pollock added.

Earlier Hytopoulos had said the 0.4 zoning is on property that is sensitive, with trees and aquifers. She said the recommended density increases suggested by city staff were arbitrary. “We’re trying to make this ordinance fit Bethany.”

In an follow-up email, she said, for example, that if a religious organization has 5 acres zoned R-0.4 it could build two market rate houses and four if at least two are affordable for 80% and below area median income. But if this new pending ordinance passes it could build 15—a 725% increase.

City planning manager HB Harper explained the reason some of the zoning increased so much, at least when it comes to percentages. She said code already allows a density bonus for affordable housing in different amounts for different areas. So city staff proposed a method for increasing that ensured all zones were afforded an increased bonus beyond what’s already allowed, with a stepped increase for residential zones. The result was in some cases a high percentage but in other cases not as much.

She said the process is complicated because in more rural areas the density is measured in units per acre, while in the more-urban area it’s floor area ratio.

Councilmember Jon Quitslund said he favors the pilot project and to deal with islandwide coverage later when other projects come forward.

Moriwaki said he initially wanted an islandwide policy, but since the goal is affordable housing he’s changed his mind. He said later he’s excited about this “turnkey” project.

Deets reiterated the council has time to critique and analyze the ordinance before other religious organizations step up to build similar developments. “It’s a complex issue of density we’re trying to wrap our brains around right now,” he said, adding they will have time to “think this through” before it’s done again.

In introducing the topic, Harper explained that staff originally recommended a bonus multiplier linked to center proximity. The new proposal was approved with modifications by City Council to allow a stepped increase, with higher steps in close proximity to Winslow.

Comp Plan

The council also discussed updating the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

New city planning director Patty Charnas said Bainbridge is far behind in the process, as others are under way and even have funding, which is actually available this time while in the past it was on the city’s dime.

The update, done every 10 years, must be finished by Dec. 31, 2024. It looks out 20 years to 2044 and predicts growth forecasts and allocations. The target growth for BI is from 24,825 to 29,350 in population and 8,073 to 10,000 in jobs.

The Comp Plan explains how the city will absorb growth, projects needed to manage growth, levels of service needed and plan integration.

Goals include: reducing sprawl, using multimodal transportation, saving open space and planning to best serve the public. A consultant will help with public input.

Staff will return with scoping, public participation and work plans.