These signs might seem a little out of place if the main trail into Gazzam turns into a road.
If we can’t stop the road, maybe we can raise enough money to buy a question mark to put next to “Preserve.”
These signs might seem a little out of place if the main trail into Gazzam turns into a road.
If we can’t stop the road, maybe we can raise enough money to buy a question mark to put next to “Preserve.”
I used to live on the hill above Crystal Springs Road with access from Crystal Springs. The reason the developers want access from above is that they have a major wetlands on their lower property. Does the city plan once again to ignore wetlands considerations when allowing developers to desecrate the island?
I strongly feel that permits to cross public land should not be granted against public will. I voted to purchase Gazzam Lake and value it and the Close Property dearly as a very unique natural preserve. Landowners should not expect the community to sacrifice our jewel - if there wasn’t a road there they shouldn’t have purchased property to develop there, or at least they should respect that historic access has been from Crystal Springs, cumbersome as that is. And,I would imagine the land was priced according to its inaccessibility, as well. They chose to buy land there and I don’t want to sell them Bainbridge’s soul for their convenience. First it’s 15 properties, then another 40, etc. We’ve seen this before.
If the “preserve” was given to and partially paid for by the people of Bainbridge, we should get our money back when the “preserve” is altered.
Once again you have NON ELECTED bureaucrats (planning department) making decisions for developers, whose fees, pay their wages. It is the most outrageous function of local government that could be. It is a conflict of interest, that if done by a Council Member, would be felonious. The planning departments do it every day. The Council can, if they were to care, override any planning department decision. This is one of those times it would be wise for those Council Members who care for their community, to turn their back on the unquenchable thirst of the developer and deny the road on this precious land.
Respectfully submitted JLK
When the Land Trust reviewed the Close property with us, the Close property and Gazzam lake was referred to as a “permanent green space” for pedestrians, horses,and bicycles. The urgengy was to save and preserve the areas. Now the city is proposing to use your tax money to build an expensive road over this green space? Your taxes are going to benefit a developer? These lot owners have their access from Crystal Springs. What does the Bainbridge tax payer receive? Taxes being spent for a road that goes nowhere but to the pockets of the developer. Please don’t let this happen…again
The City allowing anything through a wetlands is simply something I do not understand. I bought an existing property with full knowledge that I border a wetland. I cannot build ten feet - that is ten feet - outside my back door due to my wetlands buffer. (And I have an existing variance.)Please don’t get me wrong - I don’t have a problem with this. What I do have a problem with is Bainbridge Island going the way of Seattle until we eventually destroy it’s character and its wetlands.
Someone - or a group - desperately needs to get to the bottom of how these decisions are made. I truly do not understand whether this involves money for the City tax base or simply the “case by case” arbitrary decision-making that was cited regarding another property involving destruction of wetlands. But it saddens me to see a beautiful, once rural area going the way of developmental greed. This one takes the cake.
Lucky is an owl that knows how to type - even luckier is an owl who has internet access. Please excuse any spelling errors as I am only a two-taloned typer.
What is this nonsense about cutting a road through these woods you call Gazzam Lake (and I call home)?
I happen to know several squirrel and bird families that are going to be quite upset the day someone cuts their home down with malice aforethought.
How am I going to keep myself and my family fed if you keep running over my food supply on your brand new shiny road?
If you thought me and the rest of the owls were a bit too rambunctious this past summer - go ahead and put that road in - see how we react.
Hoot. Hoot. Don’t develoop.
Cordially yours,
Owl
The citizens of Bainbridge Island have voted and paid for a park/open space at Gazzam Lake. We made that decision. What gives city hall the audicity to even think that city administrative/planning departments can tinker with Gazzam Lake Park? It’s not the city’s property; it belongs to our municipal park district!
That property is gorgeous. It’s hard to find nice lake front property for a reasonable price anymore.
One of the reasons that my husband and I moved to Bainbridge is its seeming dedication to the protection of natural habitats.
Gazzam Lake is one of the main attractions of the island for us, and we spend a lot of time hiking its trails and basking in its serenity. This serenity would most assuredly be spoiled by the development of a road right through it.
I think that it’s irresponsible to allow this development to happen.
How long will it be before all the parks and “protected” and “preserved” lands are sold and developed?
Karin and I hike the Gazzam-Close property frequently since we live nearby and enjoy the outdoors. We feel that it would be a travesty to run an automobile road through those quite unspoiled forest areas, which are a wildlife corridor, an environmentally sensitive preserve, and one of the few (decreasing) Island lands where a sense of nature still prevails. The noise, pollution, interference with wildlife, and destruction of natural beauty that would inevitably accompany a road are contrary to the long-term hopes and preferences of most Islanders. Don’t do it! The owners of the tracts seeking the road acquired their properties subject to the surrounding situation and should not now be heard to complain of limited access. That’s the way it is and the prices they paid for their properties undoubtedly reflected those facts.