Commission designates Winslow as candidate countywide growth center, asks staff to seek Commerce feedback and craft a park overlay goal

During the April 9 meeting, the Bainbridge Island Planning Commission recommended designating the Winslow subarea as a candidate countywide growth center and took two related policy steps: it unanimously directed staff to seek guidance from the Washington State Department of Commerce about how funding and subsidy programs would be treated in state review, and it asked staff to draft a comp‑plan goal to create a Park Overlay District.

Commissioner Peter moved to recommend the Winslow area shown on the draft future‑land‑use map as a candidate countywide growth center under the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council framework. After discussion about the regional criteria and several commissioners’ outstanding questions about how future regional updates would affect local obligations, the motion passed on a recorded voice vote 3‑1 (Chair Blossom dissented). Planning Manager Darren Buchanan and Planning Director Patty Charnas provided background on why the area was identified under the Puget Sound Regional Council framework and noted that designation helps prioritize transportation funding competitions.

Council liaison Ashley Matthews, who serves on regional boards, told the Commission the designation “does not take away local control in any way” and that centers primarily help prioritize transportation dollars and signal where growth is anticipated.

Following the growth‑center motion, commissioners voted unanimously to ask staff to contact the Washington State Department of Commerce for feedback on whether and how programs or funding — for example subsidy or purchase programs tied to inclusionary or bonus incentives — could be counted toward capacity calculations in state review. Staff agreed to reach out and report back.

Finally, the Commission adopted a motion directing staff to prepare a comp‑plan goal and policy to create a Park (or park/recreation) Overlay District so existing and future publicly accessible park properties (city parks, the Metropolitan Park District, land‑trust parcels and similar) can be given standards appropriate to public recreational use rather than default residential setbacks and requirements.

Next steps: staff will transmit the growth‑center recommendation and the Commerce outreach request to appropriate bodies and will draft the Park Overlay District goal for subsequent review by the Commission and the public.