NOTICE: New Schedule Adopted

The City Council has adopted a formal schedule to complete the state-mandated Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update and related development regulations by June 30, 2026. Resolution No. 2025-18 outlines key milestones, clarifies roles for staff and the Planning Commission, and prioritizes only the amendments necessary to comply with the Growth Management Act. With this direction in place, the City is now moving forward with a focused, coordinated approach to complete the remaining work. The Planning Commission completed its review of the Winslow Subarea Plan with a set of recommendations at their December 4 and 11, 2025 meetings. In 2026, the Planning Commission begins to review updates to the rest of the Comprehensive Plan. The first public hearing on the updated Comprehensive Plan is anticipated in spring 2026.

NOTICE: Washington Department of Commerce selects Bainbridge Island for Housing Accountability Act review process

The City of Bainbridge Island has been notified the Washington State Department of Commerce it has been selected for the new Housing Accountability Act (HAA) Selected Review process. In 2025, the Legislature adopted the HAA (E2SSB 5148), establishing review processes to help jurisdictions bring local housing plans and regulations into compliance with state law. The HAA Selected Review is a state-led process that provides technical assistance to support jurisdictions in updating their Comprehensive Plan housing element and related development regulations to meet Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements, as outlined in RCW 36.70A.835. For more information, see the City press release under Supporting Documents below.

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The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) studied three different alternatives for how we can accommodate growth as well as their effects on our community and natural environment.

The DEIS was released for public review on 7/26/2024 with a 76-day comment period that closed on 10/10/2024. During the comment period, a total of:

• 481 people attended 6 open houses
• 567 comment submittals were received, totaling 1,310 pages, with over 2,700 indexed comments

CLICK HERE TO VIEW COMMENTS & RESPONSES ABOUT THE DEIS & ALTERNATIVES

CLICK HERE TO REVIEW THE DEIS (PDF 20.8mb)

Printed copies of the DEIS and the Comment/Response Package are available for viewing at:

• Bainbridge Public Library (1270 Madison Ave N)
• City Hall (Planning Department & Executive Department, 280 Madison Ave N)

Thumb drives are available to borrow at City Hall (Planning Department) if you can't download the DEIS file above and want to print your own copy.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEIS & ALTERNATIVES

• Notice of Availability
• View the Online Open House.
• Video: "Something to Talk About" episode hosted by the Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center.
• Video: DEIS Released for Bainbridge Island Comprehensive Plan Update
• Video: The 411 on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement Comment Period
• DEIS Outreach and Engagement (PDF 12.7mb)

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WHAT IS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?

The City's Comprehensive Plan establishes the long-range vision for the Island, identifying important characteristics that the community desires to retain, promote, or foster. The Comprehensive Plan includes goals, policies, maps, actions, and capital improvements that guide the community toward that vision.

WHY IS THE PLAN BEING UPDATED?

Under the WA Growth Management Act, the City's Comprehensive Plan and associated development regulations must undergo a periodic update by the end of 2024. The City's last periodic update adopted the 2016 Comprehensive Plan with a 20-year planning period of 2016-2036. The 2024 Periodic Update will adopt a comprehensive plan with a 20-year planning period of 2024-2044.

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PERIODIC UPDATE AND THE WINSLOW SUBAREA PLAN UPDATE?

The Comprehensive Plan periodic update and Winslow Subarea Plan update complement each other like two sides of a coin. Both plans must accommodate future growth and update city policies and accompanying regulations, but the Winslow Subarea Plan update will lead the way by planning for the Winslow area first. The Comprehensive Plan periodic update will complete complementary planning for the areas outside of Winslow as well as island-wide issues. Public engagement activities between the two projects may be coordinated or independent as appropriate. Both updates will be evaluated together through an integrated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?

• Sign up for Comprehensive Plan email updates
• Read the documents released throughout the project
• Attend public meetings (posted on this page when scheduled)
• Share your thoughts during a public comment period
• Testify during a public hearing

Questions? Contact Jennifer Sutton, AICP, Senior Planner, 206-780-3772 or jsutton@bainbridgewa.gov.

HOW WILL THE PLAN CHANGE?

The periodic update must plan to accomodate anticipated growth, adapt to changes in state law and regional planning policies, and address local policy priorities. Most of the changes will be developed through the following City projects, which will be integrated into the Comprehensive Plan during the update process.

• Winslow Subarea Plan Update (underway)
• Housing Action Plan (completed)
• Climate Action Plan (completed)
• Sustainable Transportation Plan (completed)
• Groundwater Management Plan (underway)
• Sea Level Rise Flood Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (completed)

The most significant changes during this update are anticipated to include:

• Housing policies and associated development regulations
• Winslow subarea policies and associated development regulations (see the Winslow Subarea Plan Update)
• Capital facilities plans for Winslow as well as infrastructure vulnerable to sea level rise

Note: Applications for Comprehensive Plan and Municipal Code amendments will not be accepted during the periodic update. They will next be accepted in 2025 per BIMC 2.16.190(F).

PLAN MUST ACCOMMODATE FUTURE GROWTH

The periodic update must plan to accommodate a portion of the overall growth (population, employment, and housing) that is forecast for the Central Puget Sound region (i.e. Kitsap, Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties). Growth allocations are determined through a regional process coordinated through the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) and the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC). The City actively participates in both coordination organizations. Within the context of this regional allocation process, local jurisdictions adopt 2044 growth targets that will be used as the basis for their periodic updates. The City is using the following 2044 growth targets for population and housing as well as housing affordability targets which have been adopted into the Kitsap Countywide Planning Policies.

	Population (People)	Employment (Jobs)
2020 (actual)	24,825	8,073
2020-2044 Growth Target (adopted)	+ 4,524	+ 1,927
Additional Growth likely needed to Underwrite Affordable Housing (50-80% AMI)	+ TBD	n/a
Anticipated Home-Based Business Growth	n/a	+ 1,932
2044 (anticipated)	29,349 + TBD	11,932

Additional capacity for housing and jobs will need to be created during the periodic update.
AMI = area median income for Kitsap County

The 2024 Comprehensive Plan must demonstrate the community can accommodate the planned growth with the following analysis:

• Land capacity analysis that ensures the proposed map designations (e.g., zoning) and development regulations (e.g., allowed uses, density, dimensions, environmental protections, etc.) can support adequate development or redevelopment;
• Public facilities/services analysis that ensures public facilities and services (e.g., roads, sewer, water, schools, emergency services, parks, etc.) will provide adequate capacity concurrently with growth; and
• Financial capacity analysis that ensures the community can afford to maintain and upgrade public facilities/services concurrently with growth.

MORE ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING FRAMEWORK

The comprehensive planning framework for the City of Bainbridge Island is:

• Enabled and governed by the WA Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A).
• Coordinated across the Central Puget Sound region through the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) and the multi-county planning policies adopted in Vision 2050.
• Coordinated within Kitsap County through the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC) and the county-wide planning policies adopted by Kitsap County and ratified by the City of Bainbridge Island.
• Coordinated between agencies on Bainbridge Island through the public facilities/services planning process.
• Implemented through City regulations and programs as well as various programs provided by the other agencies and organizations that work on Bainbridge Island.