RES 93-31 SELECTION OF SITE FOR BAINBRIDGE ISLAND CITY HALLAug. 18, 1993 draft
RESOLUTION 93-31
A Resolution Establishing Procedure
for Selection of a Site for Bainbridge Island City Hall
BACKGROUND
1. The annexation of unincorporated Bainbridge Island by the City of
Winslow increased the population of the city from approximately 2,500 to over
17,000. With these new citizens to serve, the number of city employees has
increased from approximately 30 to approximately 85.
2. City employees are now housed in three locations. Administration,
Finance, part of Planning, and Police are at City Hall; most of Public Works is in
temporary facilities at John Nelson Park; and Building, part of Planning, and
Municipal Court are in leased facilities at Rolling Bay. Because of crowding, the
City is now arranging to lease additional temporary space at a fourth location,
the North Sound Bank Building.
3. A citizen committee was appointed in 1991 to study the need for new
facilities for the City. In July 1992, the committee issued its report. It concluded
that the City needed a City Hall consisting of a building of approximately 18,600
square feet, with room for an approximate 25% expansion, parking for 120
vehicles, and approximately 2 acres of land. The existing City Hall has 6,600
square feet on 0.85 acres. The committee reviewed sites in the area roughly
bordered by Sportsman's Club Road on the west, New Brooklyn Road on the
north, and Ferncliff Ave. on the east. The committee presented a list of six sites,
ranked in order of preference.
4. The City then retained The Lewis Architects to develop cost data on
the sites recommended by the citizen committee, and other selected sites.
Lewis & Associates also developed a matrix of factors which, when utilizing
responses by some individuals to a survey, resulted in a ranking of seven sites.
Lewis Architects rendered its report in December, 1992.
5. The City Council held public hearings in December 1992 and January
1993 on the committee and Lewis reports. Following the hearings, the Council
decided to obtain additional information about three sites. The City retained
Lewis Architects and TPE to examine cost and traffic issues regarding the three
sites.
6. The two consultants' reports were received in May 1993. The City
Council again received written and oral public comment in May and June 1993.
7. The City is in the midst of a three-year program to develop a new
comprehensive plan, as mandated by the Washington Growth Management Act.
The comprehensive plan must be reviewed by the City Planning Commission,
adopted by the City Council, and approved by the State Department of
Community Development. The present planned schedule is for the Planning
Commission to review and approve the comprehensive plan during the period
August -October 1993, then for the City Council to review and adopt the plan by
December 31, 1993.
8. The comprehensive plan will address many issues, such as population
density, transportation, and utilities, which will have impact on the City Council's
decision of the location of a new City Hall.
9. The City Council is committed to receiving public input on the location
of a new City Hall, and has held several public hearings on the issue. Additional
public comments will be solicited by the Planning Commission and City Council
during their deliberations on the comprehensive plan.
10. Citizen comments and recommendations regarding a City Hall site
center primarily around the issue of location within the Winslow business core
area or at a site outside the business core, but reasonably adjacent to it. Two
sites that have received substantial favorable comments are the Nystrom site on
Winslow Way East and the Sakai site between Madison Ave. and S.R. 305.
11. There has been considerable public comment about the future
utilization of the Nystrom and Sakai sites. Issues raised include location,
potential value for public purposes, and the impact on the community from any
future use or development.
12. The City can obtain funds for capital projects by issuing councilmanic
bonds, which must be repaid out of currently -available revenue sources.
13. The City is considering several major capital projects, including a new
public works facility, a gateway "Heritage Center," several road projects, and City
Hall. The method and timing of these expenditures need to be carefully
considered.
ACTION
IT IS THEREFORE RESOLVED:
1. Based on the above events and circumstances, the City Council
determines that the City of Bainbridge Island needs a new City Hall facility.
2. City Council members and the Mayor have studied and considered the
City Hall issue since mid-1992. The Council believes that it is appropriate for the
Council to make a decision on the location for a new City Hall site in December
1993.
3. The decision the Council will make in December will be to either
choose a final site for the new City Hall, or to schedule an advisory election on
the issue in February 1994.
4. The City Council desires to further examine the merits of, and obtain
additional factual information about, the Nystrom and Sakai properties.
Therefore, the special City Hall Committee shall continue to work with the
administration to do so, and to develop comparative information for the Council
and the public about potential sites.
5. Other potential sites appear generally less attractive than the Nystrom
site (among business core locations) or the Sakai site (among sites outside the
business core). However, site availability and cost are critical considerations,
and the Council cannot completely rule out other sites until availability and cost
issues have been fully resolved.
6. Since the comprehensive plan will address issues which have an
impact on City Hall location, and since the Planning Commission will review the
comprehensive plan during the fall of 1993, the City Council desires timely input
related to City Hall location from the Planning Commission.
7. The Council intends to finance the new City Hall by issuing
councilmanic bonds, without asking the voters to grant additional taxing
authority. The council determines that this is the most economical method of
financing the facility. The 1993 budget already includes debt service funds for
this project. The city administration and council will continue to study other
possible financing mechanisms and cooperative arrangements to provide for the
most efficient use of taxpayer funds.
8. The Council Finance & Personnel Committee shall work with the
Mayor and city staff to develop a plan for financing the major capital projects of
the City, including City Hall. The Mayor and Finance Committee will present
their recommendations to the Council by November, 1993.
ATTEST/AUTHENTICATE:
RALPH W. FELLS, Finance Director
FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: 8-17-93
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: 8-19-93
RESOLUTION NO. 93-31
Averill
haII0818.doc
SAM J�,, _CA NATO, Mayor