Responsible Department: Jointly managed by the City’s Planning and Community Development Department and the Bainbridge Island Metro Park and Recreation District
Lead Staff: Libby Hudson (City) and Perry Barrett (Park District)
Contact:
Tel: (206) 842-2552
Location: 240 Weaver Avenue -
Map
Project Description: The Strawberry Plant property was acquired by the City of Bainbridge Island through a land exchange to be developed as a park. The City and the Park District, in a joint planning effort, are seeking to restore the shoreline at this site and plan for recreational opportunities on the uplands.
Once the center of the Island’s thriving strawberry industry, the site is located in the back reaches of Eagle Harbor. Located near a recently restored salmon stream and an aquatic conservancy area, the Strawberry Plant property is one of the most significant opportunities to restore lost habitat in Eagle Harbor and will benefit salmon, shellfish, birds, and other wildlife. The restoration of the Strawberry Plant property is expected to be a multi-phase project with funding from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board Grant (SRFB) and the Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDA) levied as part of the Superfund Cleanup.
Project objectives:
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Restoring shallow-gradient intertidal habitat, fringe marsh, and marine riparian vegetation;
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Removing ~100 creosote piles;
- Removing ~250 feet of concrete and rip-rap bulkheading;
- Removing ~23,000 square feet of intertidal fill (roughly estimated at 10,000 cubic yards);
- Removing concrete, brick, and other debris spread throughout the intertidal zone; and
- Removing ~23,500 square feet of impervious surface.
Comments at the July 22, 2009 City Council meeting regarding the shoreline restoration project represented a diverse range of viewpoints regarding historic preservation, water-oriented recreational uses, neighborhood impacts, environmental protection, funding, the planning process and other issues. Councilmembers expressed concern about how to move forward with the project and the City Manager directed staff to cease active planning (other than working on the permits in process) on the project until a community workshop could be held.
