oct-2017

218 219 town core and select neighborhood service centers, so the rest of the island can be preservedwith parks, open space,and large lot residential.”The continued implementation of this concept will preserve approx- imately85 percent of the island’s natural areas,which, according to Schulze,is an important issue to both the Cityand its residents. “Part of the reasonwhyour comprehensive plan took30months to complete is becausewe had a tremendous amount of public involvement in the pro- cess,”Schulze adds.He points out that the community made it clear that sustainability,green building and development practices,tree preservation,and acces- sible community spacewere top priorities.So,the City drafted the plan accordingly.But,as Director of Plan- ning and CommunityDevelopment,GaryChristensen, points out,the island is duewest of Seattle,a city whose shadowof growth stretches across the Puget Sound.As its neighbor continues to attract mega-busi- nesses andworkers,the question emerges: “Howare we going to protect the island’s fragile environment and communitycharacter,andmaintain sustainable growth into the future?With the growth of Seattle and the Seattlemetro area,and companies such asAma- zon,Boeing,Microsoft,Expedia,andT-Mobile,there are lots of jobs and a booming constructionmarket.There is a huge housing demand.” Bainbridge Island is amere 30-minute ferry ride BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WASHINGTON fromSeattle,making it an easilyaccessible location for individuals whowish to live outside of the city’s down- town.Christensen calls Bainbridge Island a unique and special place,explaining,“Only small portions of the island communityare urbanized.Alot of the island is rural,pastoral,with two-lanewinding,country-like roads.”The island has 53miles of marine shorelines, approximately72 percent of the city is forested,crime is nearlynon-existant,schools are among the best in the state,big box retail is prohibited,and environmen- tal stewardship is championed. Thus,the city’s vision is to“becomewalkable,livable,and sustainable.” The quest to provide a diagram for citygrowth that allows its residents tomaintain their lifestyles while addressing future needs such as housing,job growth, and economic sustainability,provided the Citywith an opportunity.The development of the newcom- prehensive plan resulted in a blueprint supporting its long-term residents’wishes while also attracting new, younger residents that will support the city’s future infrastructure. Schulze admits,“Likemanycities across the country, especially in high-growth areas like Seattle,we really have a challenge inmaking sure housing is affordable.” Bainbridge Island’s CityCouncil created anAffordable HousingTaskForce to identify solutions andmake recommendations on howto approach the issue. Proactivelyaddressing the need via a community task forcewill allowfor proper analysis and discoveryof a strategy that couldwork for the island,and ensure that the community shares ownership of its growth.And for now,managed growth is addressing the situation. Schulze describes downtown residential growth as significant,with nearly400 newunits either per- mitted or underway.He also describes the recent development of a newneighborhood service center