The Bainbridge Island Metro Parks & Recreation commissioners are expected to vote at their next meeting on if they want to put a $10 million bond on the ballot to expand 54-year-old Ray Williamson pool.

The bond would likely be paid off over 20 years.

Alice Ostdiek, the park district’s bond counsel, said another funding option would be to have smaller amounts over time. If staggered, then property taxes would come onto people’s tax rolls at different times.

Acting executive director Dan Hamlin said Commissioner Tom Goodlin, who could not be there, asked him to bring up the idea of including other support facilities to capture the potential for putting a cover over the BI Recreation Center pool in anticipation of the displacement of swimmers from Ray Williamson during closures for renovation.

Commissioner Dawn Janow said she would vote not to do that; her concern is what happens if the project exceeds $10 million dollars. The park district could potentially be left with an incomplete pool.

Public comments in the room mostly favored expansion.

But Janow said she would speak for those not in the room. She said taxpayers are already subsidizing aquatic programs. While the pool is busy at times, it is often also not full. Repairing the pool in its current configuration is consistent with other municipalities, like Seattle. The park district’s mission is recreation. It has already been decided that the pool will be renovated without asking taxpayers to reach deeper into their pockets.

Commissioner Jay Kinney said it is going to cost about $5 million just to keep the pool in the current configuration and another $5 million for expansion. That money could be spread around on other projects. But he said he is leaning toward expansion because BI’s population is going to increase, and this is a way to increase capacity now, which will help now and in the future. He is hoping that the aquatic community not only fundraises among themselves but get donations from all over the community.

Commissioner Ken DeWitt said he is leaning toward the bond because he can see more programming opportunities. Even 25 years ago there were wait lists for swimming lessons.

Strawberry Hill park

Senior planner Matthew Keough said the public process for the Strawberry Hill Park concept plan started over two years ago. The guidelines were: 1. program spaces, activities and amenities; 2. improve circulation and accessibility; and 3. coordinate infrastructure and improvements.

The concept is flexible. There is concern about a road cutting through the central play area, but Keough said circulation will be added when needed and where it is best.

The sports venue is purposely vague and includes the availability of space for parking and infrastructure to support a sports venue if it were to be built.

Kinney asked if anything in the concept plan would preclude the sports venue from becoming larger. Keough said not unless it would preclude something else that has been committed to. Kinney said he thinks it is a wonderful place to build more tennis and pickleball courts.

Easements

Park Services superintendent Lydia Roush said the BI Parks & Trails Foundation has been working on trail easements in five zones. All five are desired to increase connectivity between parks and trails. She noted that none is currently open to the public.

The first zone is from West Port Madison to Dolphin Drive and goes across part of the Bloedel Reserve’s property. The foundation will build the trail and plans to work with the community to name it. The second zone is Johnson Farm to Gazzam Lake Nature Preserve and will require three easements. The park district may be responsible for building part of the trail but two-thirds of it already exists. Property owners are asking that bikes be restricted, so signs will be posted regarding that.

The third zone is the Winslow ravine west of Deercliff Road. The project developer will build the trail. A goal would be to connect it to John Nelson Trail someday via a bridge across the ravine. The fourth zone is Nutes Pond north to Sunny Hill, which will require two easements. While the foundation would permit and build the trail, the park district would probably be responsible for building some boardwalks and a small bridge that the foundation plans to fund. The fifth zone is Nutes Pond to Fort Ward and consists of five easements that would be transferred from the foundation as they are secured.

Capital fund

Assistant executive director Amy Swenson and Park Services superintendent David Harry talked through the items in the amended 2024 Capital Improvement Fund budget. The amendment was driven by the need to accommodate funding for Phase I of the Ray Williamson pool renovation and for the recent acquisition of the addition to Strawberry Hill Park, which has been referred to as the Comcast Property.

Comp Plan

Keough said the city of BI’s Comprehensive Plan update has put alternatives for park planning in a draft environmental impact statement. The second and third options make space for city’s intention for park zoning either through a park zone or through park provisions within code. The preferred alternative has not been decided. The park district has advocated for years and now there is an expression of intent for park planning or development standards to implement the Comp Plan vision.

Other news

Hamlin said an agreement has been extended for 50 years with the BI Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Association. For grant purposes, over the last several years BIJAEMA has needed to be able to demonstrate it has at least 25 years of tenure on the site.

Harry said the power poles at Sakai Park need to be moved to accommodate the Madison Avenue sidewalk project and so the entryway can be realigned with the entryway to the Aquatic Center. Recreation Division director Madison Collins said up to 70 people attended their job fair, mostly youth.

Roush said Moritani tree thinning is wrapping up, and the Environmental Protection Agency is getting ready to start the riprap project at the Wycoff site so the lower parking lot at Pritchard Park will be closed.

Hamlin said the park district will have a float in the 4th of July parade. Executive Services manager Helen Stone completed the refresher training required by the Open Government Training Act for public records officers.