There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to affordable housing on Bainbridge Island – even on the Planning Commission.

Or even if there’s a problem at all.

Commissioner Ashley Mathews wondered that aloud at their recent special meeting to discuss an affordable housing project envisioned at Bethany Lutheran Church. The city recently discussed putting a cap on the number of homes at 24 for the 8½ acres off Sportsman Club and High School roads.

Since no analysis has been done, “We may not have the demand for affordable housing. We have inventory that’s not been sold,” she said, adding she’s worried, “We don’t have bodies to put into homes” that we’re putting so much time in trying to build.

Mathews said she recently found that there are only eight homes on BI for sale right now, which “might sound alarmist,” but she found the least expensive of those has been on the market for a long time. She said the cheapest, $695,000, has been for sale for 50 days, and the next cheapest, $749,000, has been available for 61 days. Next on the list is $1.99 million, and it’s been on the market for 256 days. Mathews said they may be trying to solve a problem BI doesn’t have yet.

Mathews still supports the concept of affordable housing. But she said it doesn’t feel right focusing on Bethany. She said they should be setting guidelines for all religious organizations. She said the church should be trying to help people rather than make money so a smaller number of houses to deal with neighbors concerned about density should be OK. “I feel like I’m going against God, or the church,” Mathews said.

Another commissioner, William Chester, also looked at the market and found just 12 housing units to rent, with the lowest costing $4,000 a month and the highest $6,600 a month. “If you don’t think there’s an affordable housing problem … follow it for a while,” he said.

Chester said he really doesn’t think $600,000 is affordable housing. The goal is to have people who work in medium-pay jobs, like teachers, be able to afford to live here. That would help the environment because cars wouldn’t be going back and forth across Agate Pass Bridge.

He said state law, and before that a local task force, said communities should work with religious organizations to establish more affordable housing. “We have a huge opportunity here,” he said of the City Council asking the commission for help in establishing an ordinance on the issue. He said they can debate the number of units and lower the number if the density is too high, but they need to find a “healthy solution to affordable housing.”

BI senior planner Jennifer Sutton agreed the city is lacking in housing as there is a waiting list with Housing Resources Bainbridge. She said it’s hard for many BI businesses to keep employees because they have to drive so far to work.

Sarah Blossom, who now chairs the committee, said the council asked them to focus on Bethany, and she agrees because coming up with something that could apply to all religious organizations would be complicated.

“They are in very different neighborhoods,” with different utilities available, etc. she said. “I don’t know how one ordinance could apply across the board.” Blossom said critics like to pick on “spot zoning” because that’s easy, but in this case site-specific zoning is appropriate.

“I’m thrown by the discussion tonight,” she said, adding she likes this project in a residential neighborhood better than the one that was OK’d in the business development at Wintergreen Lane but is now under appeal. Blossom said, “It’s not a question. We don’t have affordable housing. The question is what type? We are short on rentals.”

She said some people wonder what’s the rush, but Blossom said there are concerns because federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to help with COVID-19 issues are time-sensitive. “It would be a shame to lose those funds.” Blossom said she’d like to see the commission keep chipping away at the issue so Bethany can get a plan and meet with neighbors to relieve some of their concerns. “Bethany doesn’t know what’s possible” on its property. “We have to give Bethany some idea… before they can do outreach,” she said.

Planning Commissioner Yesh Subramanian said while he supports affordable housing in general he would like to see them take a more holistic view and questions the overall need. He supports a smaller project at Bethany, but doesn’t like an ordinance just for them. “It can backfire on you. Open the floodgates,” if we don’t think out all of the unintended consequences, he said, adding they should study what other cities are doing.

Commissioner Lisa Macchio also is concerned with legal issues if Bethany ends up with extra density compared with religious organizations that may develop affordable housing in the future. “It’s a good thing we don’t always agree,” she said, adding that brings out a diversity of opinions that can work into the best outcome. “We’re coming to grips with how challenging it is.”

Macchio said the commission needs to follow the direction of the council and work with city staff on what is intended by the new state law and how it can be consistent with local needs.

Regarding public comments, Mathews said they have been hearing most from organized Not In My Backyard groups that do not want change.

Public comments

Like the commission members, public comments were all over the place.

Jane Rein said she was upset by some of the comments made by Mathews. She also said the public needs to be more involved, not just the council and commission.

Jason Wilkenson said he supports the vision and addressing a critical need, but he doesn’t like the approach of just looking at one church’s project. He said that increases animosity. It needs to be done with an open dialogue and in a sustainable way.

Among the comments in favor:

•Maggie Rich of Housing Resources Bainbridge said it supports the law to address a critical need of affordable housing with increased density for the pilot project at Bethany.

•Ed Watson said affordable housing is needed so teachers, firemen, police, social workers and others can live here and have a diverse community. He encouraged looking at Habitat for Humanity projects in the future.

•David Portman of Bethany said the state law mandates bonus density. He also said their vision provides for free an opportunity for the city to address a local need.

Among the comments against:

•Luke Rieksts said he attended a couple of meetings at the church, and it seems awful dense for such a small area.

•Ron Peltier said the project is too dense, and the church should do a smaller one – something “the entire community could support.”

•Lisa Neal accused Sutton and the city of being pro-development. She said conservation areas, such as where the Bethany homes are envisioned, are supposed to be preserved to protect the island’s sensitive watershed.

•Jim Halbrook doesn’t like the state law favoring religious organizations. He also said the lack of public involvement is a “charade.” He said because they want to preserve the quality of life they wanted when moving to a rural area they are guilted and shamed. “If we oppose it we are selfish nimby’s.”