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City News Bytes: Eagle Harbor/Wyatt Projects Are Inching Along, Spanking New Water Tank Should Be Up and Running Soon, Affordable Housing Project Misses Out on Funding

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Graphic of Wyatt Way Improvements

If you live on the south end of the island, you’re probably frustrated with the pace of the infrastructure project unfolding on Wyatt Way and the Head of the Bay. But the City of Bainbridge Island assures us that progress is indeed being made. Work on the Eagle Harbor/Wyatt Non-Motorized Project is ongoing, but the last construction elements of the Eagle Harbor Fish Passage Project at Cooper Creek will be wrapping up in the next week or so.

Can everyone say hurrah!

Meantime, the goal of the Eagle Harbor Drive / Wyatt Way Non-Motorized Improvements project is to improve safety for non-motorized users along Wyatt Way westward around the Head of the Bay. The scheduled outlook at this time is as follows:

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Eagle Harbor/Wyatt – Overall traffic disruptions in the form of one-lane closures during work hours will continue through the duration of the project (end of April, with an after-hours one-lane closure planned for three weeks in early-mid February).

  • Cooper Creek: Before (l) with 30-inch culvert; After (r) with 15-foot culvert.

    Mid-January – The Wyatt sidewalk and bike lane from Ashbury to Eakin is almost complete, except for paving, which is weather dependent.

  • Late January through February: 
  • Water line installation is almost complete, with disinfection and testing happening now and through the week of February 6.
  • Storm water drainage installation continues with work just north of the Cooper bridge – one lane traffic with flaggers will continue as they alternate work on both sides of the road and cross the road with the storm drainage line installation.
  • Concrete curbing setup to reach Head of the Bay by first week of February. Expect one-lane closures with flagging during working hours, and one-lane auto signal during off work and nighttime hours – two to three week duration as curb forming and concrete curing is performed on one side of Eagle Harbor Drive at a time.
  • Paving of the bike lanes will occur in February and continue through March, depending on weather conditions.
  • Early March – Bike lane, intersection and safety improvements south of Cooper Creek will begin the week of March 3, and continue through early April.
  • Mid-April – Project staff are considering a pavement preservation treatment for the entire project corridor – a “slurry seal” – which could be implemented in April.
  • Late April – Substantial completion of the project – except for striping, which is heavily dependent on weather – is anticipated in late April.

Cooper Creek Fish Passage

  • Mid-January through mid-February – Work on storm drainage, water line and bridge railings will be ongoing through mid-February. Traffic disruptions in the form of one-lane closures will be coordinated as much as possible with the closures needed to support the Eagle Harbor/Wyatt project.

Learn More About the Non-Motorized Improvements: Eagle Harbor Drive / Wyatt Way Non-Motorized Improvements Project | Bainbridge Island, WA – Official Website

Learn More About the Fish Passage Project: Eagle Harbor Fish Passage at Cooper Creek | Bainbridge Island, WA – Official Website

Winslow Water Tank Update: New Tank Should be Up and Running by end of February 

Landscaping and security fencing at the new Winslow Water Tank site are now complete. The tank contractor was scheduled to begin disinfection procedures last week, a process expected to take approximately two weeks. If all goes as planned, the City anticipates bringing the new tank online by February.

Demolition of the existing 1-million-gallon tank is expected to be completed by the end of February, marking the final major phase of this important infrastructure upgrade.

The City was notified recently that although the water tank mural did not come in first place in Tnemec’s 2025 Tank of the Year international competition, it did receive a 2nd place finish! “And that’s still a shiny metal (metaphorically). Way to go Bainbridge!” And . . . .

Have you seen this?

Have you found the hidden Sasquatch on the water tank yet? Walk around the tower and see if you can spot it!

State Passes on Providing Potential Funding for City’s 625 Winslow Way Affordable Housing Project 

This news item might have fallen through the cracks, the City of Bainbridge recently struck out in its effort to attract additional funding for its workforce housing project on the corner of Winslow Way and State Route 305 – the now vacant site of the former Police Station.

The Low-Income Housing Institute (LIHI) submitted an application to the Washington State Department of Commerce Housing Trust Fund in October 2025 for the affordable or workforce housing project at 625 Winslow Way. According to city officials, the Housing Trust Fund is a highly competitive and “oversubscribed” state funding program that provides loans and grants to support affordable housing development. Commerce posted its awardees on January 15, and LIHI was not awarded funding for 625 Winslow Way in this cycle.

LIHI submitted the 2025 application with an acknowledgement that the project does not currently meet zoning requirements and could not move forward until a code update was made, either through an Ordinance or Comprehensive Plan update. It is common for nonprofit housing developers to apply for a project multiple years before receiving an award to introduce the project to reviewers and build familiarity early in the process, city officials noted.

Vacant site of proposed Affordable Housing Project at 305 and Winslow Way

Legislative action related to Ordinance No. 2025-21 has been delayed due to a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) appeal. Ordinance No. 2025-21 would amend development regulations for 100% affordable housing projects in the Central Core and Ferry Terminal zoning districts east of SR 305, consistent with the City’s current Comprehensive Plan (including Housing Element Policy HO 4.3, Land Use Element Policy LU 6.2, and Economic Element Goal EC-5).

The SEPA appeal is being reviewed by the City’s Hearing Examiner, with a hearing currently scheduled for January 28 (and January 30 if needed). A new City Council public hearing date for Ordinance No. 2025-21 will be scheduled after the Hearing Examiner issues a decision.

Early in the consideration of an affordable housing project, the schedule was identified with the submittal of a complete application in fall of 2025. While the overall timeline for this project has been delayed by approximately one year, this delay may ultimately support LIHI’s ability to pursue Housing Trust Fund funding in a subsequent cycle.

Additional FAQs and background on 625 Winslow Way Workforce Housing can be found on the City’s website HERE.

Source Materials courtesy of the City of Bainbridge Island.

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