The interim ordinance was adopted just one day before Bainbridge Island would have been required to permit development of any size that met certain affordability requirements. Now the Council will turn its attention to permanent regulations that will likely scale back these capacity increases.
After the state's Commerce Department signaled it won't give the city any more leeway, the Bainbridge Council voted 6-1 to advance interim development regulations that will modestly upzone Winslow with the aim of getting into compliance with the Growth Management Act.
Without a state extension, Bainbridge Island is on track to be required to permit any housing project that meets certain affordability requirements, regardless of existing zoning, starting August 22. This accountability tool, known as the Builder's Remedy, has not yet been deployed in Washington.
The number of weekday round trips between Bremerton and Seattle will drop from 20 to 13, with a major gap created between mid-morning and afternoon. The end of supplemental state funding coincides with a pivot at the legislature away from fast ferries.
The exclusive island enclave's residents have a reputation as being anti-growth. A recent public hearing at the Bainbridge Island Planning Commission showed how many are actually clamoring for more housing options.
A letter from the state's Commerce Department officially starts the clock on a requirement for Bainbridge to update its housing growth plan. If it's still not up to snuff after the deadline, the door could open to any affordable housing project being approved, regardless of zoning.
The Low Income Housing Institute's plans for 90 units of workforce housing have been in limbo since the appeal was filed in September. Ultimately, the project appears unlikely to advance until Bainbridge Island updates its overall housing growth plan.
Set to build its first protected bike lane, the City of Bremerton proposed a last-minute change to its otherwise excellent 6th Street design, stripping out more than half of the flex posts protecting people biking. But it’s not too late for the City Council to intervene.
Washington State is forcing Kitsap County to re-do its Comprehensive Plan for lack of low-income housing, ignoring wildfire risk, and neglecting safe streets requirements. The do-over is a chance to turn away from sprawl, writes Travis Merrigan.
Without “bold action,” Bainbridge Island was on track to be two years late in adopting an updated long-term growth plan, according to the city’s new consultant. But with little consensus around a path forward and two new councilmembers taking office, a change in strategy may not be enough.
On the whole, there were bright spots for urbanist candidates all around the region, with major gains seen in Burien, Redmond, and Tacoma. There was also some backsliding in places like Sammamish and Bainbridge Island.
A SEPA appeal filed by a former council candidate means LIHI’s long-planned 92-unit housing project won’t be as competitive for state grants, but the nonprofit developer is optimistic that things can be quickly resolved and get moving again.
Cities around the region are starting to grapple with greater accountability for creating more affordable housing, in the wake of a far-reaching decision impacting Mercer Island. Bainbridge Island and Clyde Hill provide an early look at those conversations.
All but one councilmember asked the Low Income Housing Institute to come back with a design that eliminates around a quarter of the planned affordable homes, after intense criticism of the height and parking ratio of a 92-unit proposal.
Despite the fact that LIHI’s proposed affordable housing project has been advancing for nearly three years, public opposition has kicked up in recent weeks. The new campaign contends that such a prime Bainbridge Island site isn’t appropriate for affordable housing.
Fast ferry runs will continue between Seattle and Bremerton on Saturdays from May to September, but will no longer be maintained through the off-season after a reduction in state support.
Kitsap Transit is planning a new fast ferry terminal on the Seattle waterfront and eyeing three potential sites, with Pier 48 the clear frontrunner. Through August 11, the agency is accepting comments to guide its study.
On Wednesday, Bremerton ditched parking mandates, letting builders choose housing over excessive parking. Following in the footsteps of cities like Spokane, Port Townsend, and Bellingham, the move sets Bremerton up to prioritize housing needs and improving multimodal travel options.
Next Monday, the Bremerton Planning Commission will vote on a reform that could go as far as ending parking mandates citywide. The policy has mostly seen smooth sailing, outside of Commissioner Richard Tift’s proposal to exempt low-density residential zones that compose 80% of all land available for
Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler has presented car-centric preliminary designs for the 6th Street project, with no alternative building sidewalks and bike lanes to state safety standards. Travis Merrigan argues the Bremerton City Council should press the City to study such an option.
Bainbridge Island and its picturesque downtown of Winslow is poised to see significant changes thanks to new state laws, as the Bainbridge council grapples with how to plan housing growth for the coming decades.
Recently completed Bremerton street projects have fallen well short of modern safety standards. The projects fail to shorten crosswalk distances, slow traffic speed, or protect cyclists with more than paint.
A perfect storm of factors is creating a drag on walk-on ridership on Washington State Ferries. Reasons include service reductions, fast ferries poaching riders, and the trend toward working from home.
Reforms being considered by Bremerton as part of this year’s major planning update include eliminating parking mandates, removing height limits in downtown, and expanding neighborhoods where additional density is allowed.
The stated goal of Kitsap County’s 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update is to maintain the county’s rural character by directing “the majority of growth toward urban areas” and supporting denser housing around transit. And while the County has some progressive ideas, the Comp Plan’s updated zoning rules don’
Bremerton is set to double its bike lanes, but will the City follow though to create a true network? Twelve watery miles due west of Seattle, Bremerton (population 44,000) is the cultural and employment hub of Greater Bremerton (pop. 180,000) and Kitsap County (pop. 280,000). The city’
Kitsap County’s largest city, Bremerton, is moving forward with a transportation project that has the potential to catalyze momentum for improved walking and biking infrastructure as the city plans to add 20,000 residents — a 44% increase — over the next two decades. Upgrading the Warren Avenue Bridge to better
It’s time to decide on Bremerton’s Warren Avenue Bridge bike and pedestrian trail. After years of study, the debate is whether the east side trail on State Route 303 should be 12-foot wide (preferred by multimodal advocates) or whether to accept the Wheeler administration’s preference of
My journey to urbanism took a twisted path. I grew up in rural Kitsap County, studied forest ecology, and worked in the woods of Alaska, Washington, and Oregon for 10 years in outdoor recreation and biology for the Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, a public utility,
Barely a year after approving an ambitious plan to systematically improve access for people who walk, bike, and roll, the Bainbridge Island City Council voted to hinder the entire city’s bike network and reduce momentum for future improvements. The council decision earlier this month veered from City staff recommendations,
This week the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is set to award $16.1 million to advance planning and design work for multiple segments of multiuse trail on the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas. The ultimate vision, being branded the Puget Sound to Pacific Trail, would connect over 200 miles
Bainbridge Island, a 65-square-mile city of about 25,000 residents boasting hourly ferry service to and from Seattle, is an incredibly popular destination for tourists visiting the Puget Sound region. But it can be difficult to navigate the island without a car. The sidewalk network on the island