Winslow Tomorrow Business Development Committee Meeting October 26, 2004 At the Bainbridge Island Historical Society Attending: Erica Varga (BIHS), Ross Thornburgh, Chuck MaClearnsberry, Kathleen Marshall, Doug Johnson, Jim Laws, John Atwill, Kelly Samson, Alice Tawresey, Erc Fredericks, Marti Lawrence Grant, Rick Peters, Stuart Walton, Bill Barrow, Wini Jones Guests: Bill Isley, Sandy Fischer Meeting brought to order by chair Alice at 7 pm, who asked everyone to intnroduce themselves. Bainbridge Review Survey: Jim Laws In June of 04, the Review conducted a survey of its readers on their spending habits. Jim passed around a copy of the results, saying it was available to borrow. Relevant high lights: discretionary income $1530/month, percentage of shopping dollars spent outside the area 31%, regularly shopped grocery stores Central Market 43%, Costco 42%, Safeway 69%, T & C 80%, for lumber, hardware; Ace 76%, Winslow Hardware 56%, and average spent in a restaurant; $140/month. Average household income is $80,300 Winslow Needs and Use Survey: Wini Jones Merrill Robison and Wini met with Sandy Fischer and Randy Witt on October 9 to discuss an island wide survey of Winslow Needs and Use. The BI Economic Council would help fund the telephone survey that would cost about $15,000 to execute. The survey would allow inclusion, in the Winslow Tomorrow process, information on the purchase habits and opinions of all islanders. COBI plans to survey islanders in the spring on their choice of the concluding alternatives, and therefore does not have the funds to support a survey now. Wini suggested that the survey could be done on line very inexpensively and asked Sandy if the resulting information would be taken into consideration. She said Yes. Wini said the BIEC will proceed. Community Congress Comments: Alice pointed out that comments made by people attending the Community Congress meeting on September 18 are available on the COBI website. Givens on WW – Stuart Walton: Stuart handed out a schematic of WW, showing widths, and the primary trouble area is Erickson to Madison on WW both sides; inadequate water supply (6” and should be 12”, storm drain system failing, sewer line too small, power poles in way according to fire dept. He also included several drawings explaining current F.A. R requirements.
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Winslow Way Urban Design Implementation Plan (WWUDIP) : Bill Isley The impetus to develop a plan with 100 downtown businesses was COBI wanting to put a three way stop sign at Winslow Way and Erickson. Bill found that many of the documents researched were overlapping and conflicting. He sat with all of the businesses, suggesting that the circulation and utility plans be brought together. He found that the Comp Plan mandated Winslow Way sidewalks be 10 feet. To execute, “ either all the parking goes away, or the walls on one side are torn down…….OOPs . The intersection of Bjune, Erickson and WW is an engineering disaster.” Their proposed plan would move Bjune to the west side of the Johannsen Realty/Streamliner building with a round about on WW at Bjune Bill said that T & C is having trouble receiving delivery trucks, with commuters using their lots, not enough parking, that they must either expand or move to the Ace Hardware building which they own. The clinic cannot expand another square foot without going into conflict of floor area ratios (F.A.R.) Another problem is that Winslow Way is the only access to south BI. Opening Wyatt to 305 has been suggested but is currently not cost effective. The 100 businesses ALL shared the cost of the WWIDIP project. The organization was sunseted when the plan was presented to COBI. It did not suggest anything that would change the current code. Bill then, with the help of large aerial maps explained the project starting with the Unocal property on the corner, which because of contamination, can not be built on but would be an excellent gateway park. The Tillicum apts are built into the street, and own the ravine. Parking study done by Gibbons revealed that there is a deficit of 350 parking stalls in downtown Winslow. Wini mentioned that there is a total of 1400 parking spaces and 640 people drive to work who work in the Winslow core. The Clinic sees 300 patients on an average daily, and 15,000 people a month go to the movies at the Pavillion. Sandy commented that the current codes do not allow enough density to justify financing expanded parking. Bill further explained that all businesses on north side of WW own the land behind them. The WWUDIP would create easements across those properties to have a road behind the businesses. The owners were in favor. PSE would put power boxes on the back of the buildings and remove the telephone poles on WW. In the WWUDIP the COBI parking lot would become a two story building on market square and a four story building on the current alley with retail.
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The plan allows T & C to expand and add a parking lot on south side of Bjune, putting the tennis court on top of the parking lot. Bill said that T & C is currently 25,000 square feet and in order for a grocery store to be profitable, it should be 45,000 square feet. Bill explained that the sewer line that must be replaced between Erickson and Madison could be done with an inserted polyethylene line. Now the storm sewer is, during big storms, frequently plugged. Many of the businesses cannot get insurance because the fire flow is inadequate. Projects have been allowed to pay an „in lieu of parking‟ fee to COBI for not putting parking spaces. This was done for the Winslow building at Erickson and WW. Cost is $18,000 per parking space. The concept is that those funds would be used to build community parking. Bill said that is the funds are not used in six years they must be returned. End of Bill‟s presentation Ross Thornburgh added that the Erickson zoning now allows for a maximum of 2500 square feet. The clinic has request a rezone to allow the Aquatics property, which they bought, to be in the core zoning area. Kelly added that COBI is trying the „fix the helicopter in the air, and the new GMA looks terrible compared to the past one. They baked the cake according to the recipe then suddenly they change the recipe” Currently an 8,000 square foot building requires 9600 square feet of parking. For every 1,000 square feet there must be 4 parking spaces at 300 square feet per parking space. Bill Barrow asked why the road from Erickson to Madison via BPA is considered a driveway and not a street, when if fact it is used as a street. Group moved to determining successful qualifiers in business: Adequate parking Convenient parking Segregated parking Adequate circulation Discrete parking Parking that is both affordable for owner and user Employee parking not next to the business. (Jim Laws added that in Bellevue Square there is NO employee parking. Pedestrian friendly Shuttle buses around core connecting, for example, Erickson to the Pavillion. Need gathering places on WW Turn WW in pedestrian only and have traffic and commercial access on the back side .
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4 Sandy reminded everyone that in Seattle there is no free parking. She also added that here, there is a disconnect with the site plans. Each one stands alone. They should relate to each other and an overall plan. She asked that the BDC not be restricted by what the other committees do. Chuck requested an actual color mosaic of the Winslow core for next meeting. Several people suggested another place to meet because they could not see. One of the meeting rooms in the fire stations was suggested, either Phelps or Madison Ave. After request to have meeting be longer, it was the consensus to have next meeting be 6:30 to 9 pm. Meeting adjourned at 9 Minutes taken by Wini Jones
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