voice of bainbridge

"New hotel will bring change to Winslow" or "dramatically change Winslow"? Opinion letter by Virginia Rice

"New hotel will bring change to Winslow" is the headline chosen by the Bainbridge Review that published Virginia Rice's letter as an opinion on May 7. That's almost one month ago from this post of June 6. Gone missing from the headline is the term "dramatically" that Virginia used in her first sentence. Later she writes "the plans and project updates are available on the city website": my question is how easily accessible are they if you don't have the magic url ? How many "concerned", essentially negative or very negative comments from citizens had already been recorded but buried in the city website (see below the screenshot of 90 of them)? How did the two main traditional local media report about this significant democratic (ie from the people) outcry about/against a project? I could not see any (yet). Nor any concern expressed publicly by our elected officials (yet) although the protest from the demos has been piling up for a while 'on the city website". How many as of today? Who read them?

There had been one hour mandatory "public participation" meeting that took place on November 26, 2018. What happened? Then what? What's next?

Dear City, comment by Victoria Josslin - In memoriam

Our dear friend Victoria died on May 12, a few days after sending this email to city hall.

From: Victoria Josslin
Sent: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 2:32 PM 
To: PCD Subject: Hotel Complex 
Dear City,   I am writing, as many others are, to ask the City of Bainbridge Island to deny the application for an 87‐room hotel complex on Winslow Way.

I know that you'll get lots of mail about the traffic, noise, and smells that will inevitably be  part of that development, and I agree with those letters.   I want to raise the issue of scale.

Bainbridge Island is a small town. Most ‐ if not all ‐ of us who live here treasure that  part of our life. The sheer size ‐ 132 parking places? ‐ of this project will change the experience of life on the Island. 

While that concern, important as it is, may sound vague, surely concerns about the scale of traffic, waste, sewers, and  calls upon City services are measurable.   Finally, I encourage you to look at the business plan, if possible. What will happen if this project, once built, turns out to be impractical? Rather than an outsized eyesore, will we be left with an abandoned outsize eyesore?  Thank you for considering these points.  

Victoria Josslin 

Comment Jeanie Johstone

From: Jeanie Johnstone 

Monday, May 6, 2019 10:10 AM
Sent: To: PCD

Subject: Winslow hotel project

I would like to voice our concerns about the 87 room hotel project that is proposed. The development will bring a significant increase in traffic, particularly when events begin and end at the same time, causing major backups on a relatively short street length where stop signs regulate traffic. Parking will definitely be a problem since there already is very limited parking in that area and overflow parking from hotel guests and events will move onto the streets. Even though the new plan indicates concerts will be held on a lawn rather than an amphitheater and there will be a 'shell' to supposedly reduce noice, the reality is, when there is a concert that sound will carry throughout much of town. Even the small groups that have performed on the Green can be heard in town and down by the water. I hope these legitimate concerns, not just from me but from the residents of Winslow, will be taken seriously and that more modifications, hopefully to reduce the size of the hotel and the outdoor venue, will be implemented.

Jean Johnstone

Let us talk?

This April 2O email by Robin Simons mentions a meeting to take place between the proponents of the hotel and a few concerned neighbors.

What happened?

From: Robin Simons 

Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2019 1:50 PM

To: Mike Burns; Colleen Redfield

Cc: Natalia Ilyin; Jack Sheridan; Olivia Sontag

Subject: Fwd: conditions for the Winslow Hotel

Attachments: CONDITIONS 4.16.19.docx

Dear Mike, Jim, and Bruce,

Thank you very much for asking to meet with those of us who live to the west of the Winslow Hotel. We appreciate your reaching out. We know that you've made changes to the design since you submitted your application to the city and we're looking forward to seeing the changes. We recently submitted a list of conditions that we're hoping the city will incorporate into the CUP, based on your earlier plans.

We believe these conditions will mitigate some of the congestion, parking and noise concerns we foresee in downtown Winslow. We look forward to learning more about your plans and discussing these concerns in our upcoming meeting.

Best,

Robin Simons on behalf of Winslow Neighbors

Comment by Jane Allan

From: JANE Allan 

Sent: Friday, February 22, 2019 5:25 PM

To: PCD

Subject: WINSLOW HOTEL PROPOSAL                

TO THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, CITY OF BAINBRIDGE ISLAND 

I had not heard of the Winslow Hotel development until just recently and was very surprised.    During  the early days of developing a plan for the Island under the Growth Management Act there was a focus  on having residents live near downtown and local shops to service local residents and visitors.  This  effort has worked out.   

There are a number of condos and houses that allow people to walk downtown  and to the ferry.  The downtown merchants are diverse and seem to be doing well.   There are  apartments condos, apartments and homes along Winslow Way, Wood Avenue, Grow Avenue. 

Now  there is a proposal the ”Winslow Hotel” which is much more than a hotel.  It is 3 stories, 75 rooms,  banquet room, restaurant, bar spa and amphitheater.  All of that !!  

I just couldn’t  believe the numbers of units proposed and the breadth of the project.   A much scaled back development  and one with condos or long term rentals  and a much smaller  number of homes seems much more appropriate.   

To have 70 hotel rooms seems way out of proportion.    An amphitheater ?  Really?     

We already have waterfront park that is used, to some extent in that  manner.    To have parking for all of the people visiting, workers at the hotel, etc.  will add  significantly more parking and cars in that area and into the downtown.  

70 plus cars will be added to the down town. There is something to “the tip of the iceberg” effect – where too much is put is put in one space. The proposed development is pasted that point.

Sincerely,  

Jane Allan 

221 Wyatt Way, 103, Bainbridge Island, WA, 98110 

Comment from Kent Salisbury

From: Kent Salisbury

Sent: Friday, February 22, 2019 3:29 PM

To: PCD

Subject: Comment on Proposed Hotel

Ms Sontag,   I am out of state currently and have just had the proposal for the "3 story hotel" forwarded to me. Here are  the  comments I made to our neighbors, and I send them to you. I hope they will be considered. Thank you,  

Kent Salisbury, 647 Janelle Pl. NW. 

Hi Debby and neighbors.  

No objection to the concept of the hotel, but it seems like a cart before the horse to me. Are our water aquifer and  power resources adequate for this continued growth? Where are the restaurants on Bainbridge to support the  developments already under way? Where are the roads able to accommodate current traffic demands? Where will the  service people live who will staff the hotel? Check out 305 at 8 AM and add those folks, assuming they can afford to get  to Bainbridge from Poulsbo or beyond. Then turn them around at day's end and you have LA traffic duplicated. Check  out the depleted inventory at Safeway at week's end and the exhorbitant prices at ACE Hardware (with no convenient  competition). What is the projected clientele for the hotel...Leisure tourists, families, business conventions, guests of  island residents? What "star" level hotel is planned? Well, enough rhetorical stuff from here. Looks like this hotel log is  already rolling pretty fast . Given these concerns I am concerned about the project's viability as well.   Our best to all.

Comment by Barb Pettit

From: Barb Pettit 

Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2019 3:41 PM

To: PCD Subject: PLN50880 Winslow Hotel Project

Comments To the Design Review team.

Others have commented thoughtfully on the challenges of parking, traffic, pedestrian safety, noise/light pollution for the proposed Winslow Hotel, and I endorse those concerns as well. But, in the end, it's the scale that has pushed me to comment on the project.

This is not a neighborhood infill along the lines of the Eagle Harbor Inn. It's a monolith with 75 rooms and . Even with lots of glass, the building has long, unrelieved elevations to the east and west where it faces adjacent properties. The service driveway on the west is an eyesore and a noise concern for western neighbors who have to listen to delivery trucks throughout the day. The guest driveway to leading to parking areas on the east, with row upon row of hotel room windows behind it, does little to interface with the residential scale of the Marge Williams Center and the building housing IVC and other small businesses. I was curious about the capacities of the various inns and hotels on the island in order to get a sense of the scale of this project. There is really no comparable lodging, as you can see below.

Shoehorned into the intimate neighborhood of west Winslow Way, the size and scale of the proposed hotel looms even larger.

Eagle Harbor Inn - 8 rooms/townhouses

Inn at Pleasant Beach - 12 rooms

Quality Inn & Suites on Hildebrand - 45 rooms

Marshall Suites on High School Road - 51 suites

Islandwood - 53 rooms

Please consider the scale of this project as you review it, as well as its impact on residents in the neighborhood who regularly walk and drive on Winslow Way.

Thank you,

Barb Pettit

239 Parfitt Way SW #1B

 

Comment by Natalia Ilyin

From: Natalia Ilyin 

Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2019 10:41 PM

To: PCD

Subject: Concerns regarding Winslow Hotel project, permit numberPLN50880 SPR/CUP

First, I would like to request that the City reschedule the Public Hearing on this project application. April 25th at 10 AM is a bad time for concerned citizens who work 9-5. Working citizens cannot get to a hearing scheduled at 10 am in the morning. This scheduling on a weekday morning gives the impression--however false-- that the City is trying to limit public participation in the hearing process. My concerns regarding the plans for the Winslow Hotel:

1. Noise. The hotel owner envisions this hotel as a wedding destination.The plans include an outdoor amphitheater. I am concerned that amplified wedding music will drift over the neighborhood constantly in the summer months. The architect assures us that no one will play amplified music, they'll only have weddings. That assurance is unenforceable. Am I supposed to go over there and rip someone's pick-up off their harp in the middle of a wedding? I would like an assurance, attached to the property, not to the owner, that states that no amplified music will be played outside. We are assured that amplified music will only be played inside. Will the hotel seal their guests in? Will there not be any access to the planned terraces? Open windows mean noise. This needs to be resolved. I live right next door to the development. When there was a bar farther away from me on that same property, I could hear every word of the music every weekend night and the sound of the bass kept me awake every weekend. I had to call the police twice to enforce the code. To give you an idea of the way sound moves up Winslow Way, When they have jazz bands on Winslow Green in the Summer, I must close my windows in order not to hear the music clearly. And jazz bands are not wedding bands. Neighbors cannot be expected to have the bass line of "Single Ladies" fill their weekends during the Summer.
2. Garbage smells and dumping. The architects assure us that they have contracted with the City to pick up garbage later in the day. That's a good start. But it doesn't cut down on the truck backing sounds, or the constant sound of bins of bottles being thrown into recycling by restaurant staff. The garbage pick up is planned for the west side of the hotel, where people' live ten feet from the property line. If the plan put the garbage on the other side of the building, no one would be disturbed. The closest neighbors on the east side are two office buildings.
3.  Parking and increased congestion on Winslow Way. Winslow way is a two-way street that already bears heavy ferry traffic hourly throughout the day. I am concerned about additional traffic on Winslow Way. We have a school bus stop right by the planned hotel. I am concerned about safety. The architect tells us that his parking advisors "don't build the church parking lot for Easter morning." And so, estimating 179 car capacity need, he has planned 90 spaces, and plans to lease space from other parking areas. The floated notion that "no one is going to be using cars anymore" is idealistic, not to 2 say privileged. Please don't let the Famous Pavilion Parking Plan Mistaker happen in this case. Evidently the Pavilion was supposed to have leased space too. That fell through after the building began. Can we not do this again?
4. Cooking smells. The architect assures us that he has put the kitchen exhaust between two gables on the front of the building. How this will affect the drifting smells of 70 wedding party salmon dinners? Are the neighbors doomed to spend June enveloped in the smell of grilling salmon while being bombarded with "How Long Will I Love You?"
5.  What happens when the sewage treatment facility belches? They have this on-going problem with the same treatment system over at Islandwood. What happens if it fails? Will 70 patrons then flush toilets into the downtown sewage system? Can the sewage system take that? 6. The Aquifer. Why would this property, which is very big for a downtown building, be granted a variance to build a well, when tax payers who live in the neighborhood are not allowed to have wells, and the alarm has already been sounded about aquifer issues with new building on the Island? Granting such a variance seems short-sighted and seems to favor wealthy developers over neighbors.
6. I support the proposal for a green buffer. This proposal was made to the architects last month. The neighbors proposed that they create a 10 foot wide natural buffer between the west side of their building and the property line, to create space for a "wildlife corridor" between the two highly developed properties. We have a surprising amount of wildlife in the area, even now. The center of the block (with the rusty cars) is a bit of a refuge. It's cool to see a Steller's Jay appear on my railing in the morning With a ten foot buffer, he could still feel safe enough to show up.
7. The Redwood will be hard to see by regular people. I think it's too bad that, especially after I fought to save the redwood (I am the person who told Olaf Ribeiro about the tree in the first place) regular people will now not be able to see most of it because of the three story hotel wrapped around it. It will be hidden from passersby. I'm glad that it will be saved, should it survive the building disruption of its roots, but I wish that people that cannot pay luxurious hotel fees would still have a chance to enjoy it. Thank you for reading and hearing my concerns. The building will no doubt be beautiful, but these details need to be dealt with in a transparent way by the City and the architects, in order for the neighbors of this development to be able to welcome it. Sincerely, Natalia Ilyin 325 Winslow Way W. unit 100 Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Comment by John and Judith Carlbom

From: John W Carlbom 

Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2019 2:11 PM

To: PCD

Subject: Winslow Hotel

Hello,  We live at 144 Hall Brothers Loop NW, Unit 102.  We are concerned about some issues of the proposed hotel. 

1. Are there enough mitigations to handle the runoff water from the property.  This property is extremely close to  Eagle Harbor and the potential for polluted water to reach the Harbor without any interference is large.  We  worry about our own property for this reason. 
2. The sewer on Winslow Way is a concern.  We believe that it is an old piece of pipe.  Will this be replaced?  Will  we be paying for this as well as the hotel?  And what about the road condition of Winslow Way from Grow  Avenue to Madison?  It currently is one of the worst stretches of road on the Island.  Will this be dealt  with?  Again, we will need to pay? 
3.  Traffic.  This is a heavily trafficked area. The intersection of Winslow Way and Madison is a nightmare.  What will  be done  to help ease the pedestrian/vehicular traffic congestion here.  Even if the hotel entry/exit is off another  street than Winslow Way, traffic will be impacted.  What will be done?  No matter which way the exit will be, it  does impact pedestrians and vehicular traffic. 
4.  Amphitheater?  Do we really need this?  While the area is zoned commercial, it seems that an amphitheater  would increase the sound in an area that already has issues with noise.  We are concerned about the noise from  the restaurant/ bar for this same reason.  However, the restaurant/bar noise could be manageable while  amphitheater noise does not seem to be quite as easily managed.  Ask us about 4th of July.  Winslow Green  concerts.  The evening commute home. 
5. Parking.  There is already not enough parking in this area.  Often the public parks on our property to reach the  stores downtown.  Or they park in that “empty” lot and takes their chances even if it is posted No Parking.  Or  park in our lots, both upper and lower.  We know that currently, there is not enough parking at Madrone Village  for owners, businesses, and customers.  We know there is a plan to park and shuttle employees from off‐site to  the hotel.  Having lived and dealt with parking here, this doesn’t really seem to be a viable option. 
6. By the way, there is another tree that should be considered for preservation.  There is a pink‐cup magnolia on  the north of the property.  It is very close to the current entrance.  We know that it is not native.  But it is a  large, fine specimen that brings joy in the spring.  It should be saved.  
7. Thank you for your time in reading this email.  We will be present at the next meeting. 

John W Carlbom  Judith G Carlbom

Comment by Al and Colleen Ebken

From: Al Ebken  

Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2019 7:09 PM

To: PCD

Subject: Concerns Regarding the Proposed Winslow Hotel Project

Dear Bainbridge Planning Commission Members:    

My wife and I are currently renting on Bainbridge Island while looking to purchase a home near the downtown  area.  After learning about the proposed Winslow Hotel and attending the meeting on November 26, 2018 at the  Bainbridge Island City Hall, we are writing this letter to voice our concerns.  What has attracted us to Bainbridge Island is  the small town feel, the artisans and the BARN facility, and the overall friendliness and sense of community that this  town currently offers.      The proposed Winslow Hotel is being described as a “Boutique Destination Hotel,” but with its large footprint, 75 rooms,  restaurant, wedding and music venues and other amenities, this hotel is considerably more than a small hotel and will  without a doubt, have a large impact on the total community, the surrounding residents, Bainbridge Island  infrastructure, and services.  With the level of information provided to the public thus far, we don’t feel that all the  potential environmental impacts of a hotel of this magnitude have been fully addressed and resolved to allow the  project to proceed at this point.  We have not seen any comparable studies presented for this approach or scale of hotel  or any mitigation plans if the concept of “low environmental impact” is not achieved.    

We request delaying the proposed Winslow Hotel project until solid information, study results, and written guarantees  can be provided by the Developer that specifically address and remedy each of the Environmental Issues and Concerns  stated below.  Ample time should also be provided for the public to review this information, provide comments and  meet with the Planning Commission before any decisions are made to go forward with the project.    

Winslow Hotel Environmental Issues and Concerns 

Noise   Guests   Car/Shuttle Bus Pickup and Delivery   Car Parking Lot   Restaurant Deliveries   Music (Amplified)   Outdoor Amphitheater   Wedding Parties   Garbage Pickup   Traffic   During Construction     Traffic Congestion   In front of hotel   On Winslow Way and around town   Winslow Way/Madison Ave intersection   During Construction    

2 Parking   There are insufficient spaces on the hotel grounds, so alternate parking spaces need to be contracted (in  advance)    

Hotel project is trying to meet the “Living Building” Challenge.  What are the impacts if those expectations are not  met and the hotel needs to use: 

 City Water (Will the developer be allowed to drill a well?)   City Septic System   City Electric     Odors   On‐Site Septic System (as part of “Living Building” Challenge).  Located near the Amphitheater where  activities will be held.   Restaurant Cooking   Garbage Dumpsters   Smoking Areas     Light Pollution   Abatement Plan       

Sincerely,   

Al and Colleen Ebken  

Comment by Peter Denis

From: Peter Denis 

Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2019 6:24 PM

To: PCD

Subject: 3 Storey hotel - comment period slated to end February 22

Hello, My wife, Robin Denis sent you a note (attached) laying out her concerns for the project that seems likely to proceed. Please allow me to add my voice to hers in support and to further state:

1. During the Town Hall meeting earlier this year, the land owner stated publicly that the primary purpose of the intended facility was to provide a suitable event space for weddings. This view was later supported by the architect who informed those assembled that for the project to "pencil" would require the 75 rooms to be occupied at 80% annually. The latter seems like a distant hope and utterly unrealistic. It would seem then, that this project only works if it is an event venue, as 80% occupancy, particularly during the gray months is utterly utopic (I was the attorney for the Four Seasons and Marriott chains in Canada for many years and have learned a little about this business).
2.  As a primarily event venue, parking becomes critical - both the owner and the architect were clear that the plans as currently drafted do not come close to providing sufficient parking - how could the City of Bainbridge Island countenance such a project, secure in the knowledge that this essential element to what will be an event venue cannot support its parking needs - not just occasionally, but at every event? I was corporate counsel for a multinational enterprise that ran Convention Centers and Major Baseball Stadiums, you can be sure that parking assumptions always erred on more, rather than less. To suggest that every Saturday evening in Bainbridge will be an overflow situation as a result of this venue is the very image of willful disregard for the community.
3.  The architect explained that more than half of the water needs would be met by employing gray water captured from the roof and the installation of a "living machine" like the one at Island Wood. Both of these intentions are laudable. I happen to know the inventor of the living machine and can attest that the Island Wood facility has stretched the limits of that technology. I can only imagine the demands that would be made for an event venue when significant spikes in use would be inevitable. Allowing a project of the architect, the balance of the water needs would be met by drilling a well and thus challenging the limits of the Bainbridge aquifer. How could the City Council approve drilling within the core of the city when city infrastructure is available. The notion that a project of this size could "go it alone" while denying similar largesse to others and other projects seems at odds with the basic principals of municipal governance.
4.  As a private venue, how would the City of Bainbridge Island enforce noise standards? As it is likely that an event will be held there every weekend, the additional costs of policing and administration for such a site will increase the costs to the city and thus to the taxpayers. Will the new tax base this project provides be sufficient to offset the inevitable costs resulting from complaints for noise and the regular policing that sustained events will occasion?
5.  As our recent snow event has indicated, it is critical that appropriate egress to facilities be designed into the project from the start. The requirement for a three-point turn for all trucks is 2 utterly impossible were a similar event to occur. Ignoring the question of access and egress or merely glossing it over is an immense disservice to the project and to the adjoining neighborhoods. In summary then, this is a marvelous idea for a venue outside of a small downtown core. Snohomish County has successfully allowed for the creation of numerous such venues through repurposing farmland and creating attractive, accessible spaces that provide excellent venues for weddings and special events. This seems very much like the right project for the wrong place. The project does not work in the absence of a robust wedding/special event calendar. The implications of this are striking for the community and the likelihood that this venue would become a flashpoint for civic discontent is extremely high. I urge you to deny future permitting for this project as it is currently configured. Respectfully submitted,

Peter Denis - 9321 NE Helmsman Ct. Bainbridge Island, WA 

Comment by Jack & Karen Sjolseth

From: Jack Sjolseth 

Sent: Friday, February 15, 2019 4:00 PM

To: Olivia Sontag; Ann Hillier

Subject: PLN50880 Winslow Hotel

 Olivia,

We received a “heads-up” from The Property Management Group regarding the planned Winslow Hotel. We had attended one of the initial meetings last year and were concerned about the small amount of parking planned for employees, guests, visitors and customers at the intended restaurant and music venue.

It was stated that most of the employees would be parking off-site (e.g. St. Barnabas Church) and the hotel would provide transportation to and from the church’s parking lot. We’re having a hard time thinking that this is a satisfactory long-term solution. And even if it is, there will be a number of hotel staff where off-site parking isn’t going to be viable.

We got the sense from their presentation that they expect a significant percentage of their customers are going to arrive on-island without transportation and are using that to suggest that much less than a 1:1 ratio of cars to hotel rooms is acceptable. That seems doubtful. In addition, they seemed to imply that there will be available nearby parking that their customers can use – I read this to say that they think their customers can use the Madrone Village and Village Green parking spaces.

These spaces are for the use of the residents and commercial customers within these properties and not used for over-flow from the hotel’s property.

Jack & Karen Sjolseth

120 Hall Brothers Loop Unit 303

Bainbridge Island

Posting again after a long interruption

I started posting again in June 2019. This post is dated November 26 2018 so that it does not appear at the top but it was written on June 6). Why those new posts? Because I felt interested and concerned by the "debate" about the Winslow Hotel project and how it was reported (or not) about in the local media. I also felt the way the city was posting the public comments on its website did not make it easy for  the community/citizenry to access them. I thought using the VOB blog could maybe help a bit. 

Voilà.