Tag Archives: bainbridge island

Toy shop open in old Winslow Drug

A toy store is now open in the 290 Winslow Way space long home to Winslow Drug.

Calico Toy Shoppe, which had been located in Winslow Green, moved into the former pharmacy building late last month, adding a splash of color to the storefront:

Owner Elisabeth Dahl said the Winslow Way store is roughly double the size of the Calico’s Winslow Green space, giving the shop more room for toys and games.

Winslow Drug closed in May after 60 years in business.

You can see more photos of Calico’s new store on Facebook.

Developer shares plans for Rolling Bay project

Tad Sooter

A Bainbridge developer plans to seek approval this fall for a project that will bring new homes, shops and a restaurant to the island’s Rolling Bay center.

Sunrise Square, which came before the city’s Design Review Board in 2015, will be located on Sunrise Drive, just north of the intersection with Valley Road.

Rolling Bay Land Co. owner Lisa Martin said she expects construction to begin by next summer, if permitting goes smoothly. The development could be ready for tenants in by early 2018.

Plans for Sunrise Square include 6,700 square feet of residential space (both detached homes and apartments), 4,100 square feet of commercial space and a 2,300-square-foot freestanding restaurant.

Martin and architect Russ Hamlet, who’ve teamed up on several eco-friendly projects, emphasized energy and water efficiency in the design of Sunrise Square.

Geothermal and solar systems will help offset the development’s energy needs, Martin said.

Buildings in Sunrise Square will feature vacuum toilets that use far less water than even low-flow toilets. Waste will be composted before it’s discharged into the development’s septic drain field.

The western portion of the 2-acre parcel will be left undeveloped as an open space meadow.

Rolling Bay Land Co. is seeking tenants for the future development. Leasing information and more designs are posted below.

Renderings courtesy Rolling Bay Land Co. and Studio Hamlet

Hitchcock’s pizzeria spinoff opens in November

Tad Sooter

721629 — Chefs Brendan McGill, right, and Brandon Thompson

A popup pizzeria on Bainbridge Island will become a permanent restaurant in November.

Bruciato, a gourmet pizza popup created by Hitchcock chef Brendan McGill and partner Brandon Thompson, is taking over a renovated space in the former Winslow Hardware building.

687697 According to a news release, the 2,000-square-foot restaurant will provide seating for 75, with another 15 spots at the bar.

The interior design showcases exposed beams and metal that “recall the building’s history,” and white marble that “lightens it up a bit.”

Bruciato will feature wood-fired Neapolitan “pizze” and more modern pies, with an emphasis on authenticity. Dough will be mixed by hand, tomatoes imported from Italy and salami cured in house.

0307_ksap_hitchcock3 Seafood, salads and antipasti will round out the menu. The bar will serve Italian and American spirits, wine and beer.

The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and stay ope until 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bruciato isn’t the only new eatery McGill has in the works. He plans to open a Café Hitchcock north of Seattle’s Pioneer Square in early 2017.

Check Bruciato’s Facebook page for updates on the Bainbridge opening.

Application filed for Bainbridge Landing development

Tad Sooter

apartments.overview — A view from the southwest corner of the site.

Plans are moving ahead for a 140-unit housing development near the Winslow ferry terminal.

Bainbridge Landing would incorporate 115 apartments and 25 town homes on a 4.7-acre lot on Ferncliff Avenue, just north of the Harbor Square condominiums.

Owners have submitted subdivision and site plan review applications for the project, according to a notice published by the city Friday.

Comments will be accepted for the next two weeks.

The site plan for Bainbridge Landing shows town homes and lofts surrounding a U-shaped apartment building.

A portion of the project bordering Ferncliff Avenue would be set aside for a park.

Olympic Property Group is spearheading the project. Charlie Wenzlau is the architect.

Here’s the full set of plans included in the application:

Bainbridge pizzeria featured on Forbes

Tad Sooter

B0012876307--549344 Forbes.com contributor Micah Solomon interviewed a Bainbridge Island pizzeria owner for an in-depth look at customer service in the pizza business.

That’s A Some Pizza owner Will Grant told Solomon about the importance of maintaining quality service in a fast-paced environment, and how Yelp reviews used to keep him up at night.

Grant also recalled the time his Winslow Way shop received a barrage of prank phone calls from Green Bay Packers fans, all ordering cheese pizzas.

You can read the full interview here.

Sadly, they don’t discuss That’s A Some Pizza’s recent rollout of a beer delivery service.

Meeting scheduled for new Bainbridge school campus

Tad Sooter

Neighbors can get an early look at plans for a new private school campus on Bainbridge Island this month.

madrona.lot — Site location. Click to enlarge.

A public participation meeting for Madrona School‘s planned facility at 11478 North Madison Ave. will be held from 6:30-8 p .m., July 18 at City Hall Council Chambers.

The K-8 Waldorf school currently shares space with Eagle Harbor Congregational Church in Winslow. About 130 students attend the school each year, according to its website.

Madrona’s new campus will be constructed on a 1.3-acre property just north of the intersection with NE Valley Road (see the inset image above).

Plans for the complex include classrooms, assembly space, offices, a playfield, 39-parking spaces, stormwater infrastructure and on-site septic, according to pre-application materials submitted to the city in June. An existing single-family residence, barn and sheds will be demolished.

The public participation meeting is a mandatory step in the city’s permitting process.

Mora ice cream featured in Starbucks beverage

Tad Sooter

wWB43Uyv-2400-1598 — Starbucks courtesy image

An ambitious Kitsap ice cream company will get a shot of exposure this summer from the biggest name in coffee.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room is featuring scoops from Mora Iced Creamery in a new lineup of Affogato beverages, according to a news release.

Affogato is essentially a scoop of ice cream “drowned” in espresso.

Husband and wife team Ana Orselli and Jerry Perez founded Mora on Bainbridge Island in 2005, after immigrating from Argentina.

Perez said the chance to work with Starbucks was an unbelievable opportunity.

Mora Iced Creamery owner Jerry Perez in the new production facility that is under construction in Poulsbo on Friday, March 27, 2015. (MEEGAN M. REID / KITSAP SUN) — Jerry Perez in the Mora production facility in Poulsbo. MEEGAN REID / KITSAP SUN

“When I saw Starbucks had called on the caller ID, my first feeling is that I forgot something at my neighborhood Starbucks store,” Perez said in the news release.

“But when I learned they wanted to work with us, it was very emotional. For us to come to this country as immigrants and now get a call from Starbucks, all I could think was ‘Wow.’”

Mora has shops in Kingston, Poulsbo and on Bainbridge. The company recently opened a production facility on Viking Avenue, with plans to franchise locations across the country.

Toy shop moving into old Winslow Drug

Tad Sooter

A toy store is poised to replace Winslow Drug on Bainbridge Island’s main street.

Elisabeth Dahl, owner of Calico Toy Shoppe in Winslow Green, said she signed a lease agreement on the space at 290 Winslow Way E. She plans to move her business there this fall.

“We’re definitely excited about being in the middle of main street and the heart of town,” Dahl said.

Winslow Drug closed in May after 60 years in business. Safeway picked up its pharmacy accounts and hired its staff.

The spacious storefront left vacant by the Winslow Drug will give Calico room to grow and add new products, while exposing the business to more tourist traffic, Dahl said.

The shop will remain open in Winslow Green during the move, and possibly through the end of 2016.

New Eagle Harbor Marina owner plans overhaul

Tad Sooter

A new owner has acquired majority interest in Bainbridge Island’s Eagle Harbor Marina, and plans a major rebuild.

The new owner of the 105-slip marina is Eagle Harbor Partners, LLP, headed by islander Bob Wise. Wise said the popular facility was built in 1980 and needs some work.

“Our first effort will be to completely rebuild the facility,” Wise said in an announcement. “The current facilities are literally worn-out. When finished, the marina will offer industry leading amenities and environmental protections as part of Washington State’s Clean Marina Program.”

The overhaul will include new docks, pilings, electrical hardware, Wi-Fi and in-slip pump out, along with an upgraded security system. Wise said the work will be completed this winter.

Slips at the marina range from 30 feet to 90 feet. The onshore property includes bathrooms, showers, laundry storage and a 50-stall parking lot.

Separately, Wise owns the Home Port Marina in Brinnon, and Port Hadlock Marina. He’s the director of the Recreational Boaters Association of Washington and member of a number of other boating association. Wise also serves a marina marketing consultant for the Port of Bremerton.

Housing development approved in Winslow

Tad Sooter

The City of Bainbridge Island approved a 28-home housing development at the northeast corner of Wyatt Way and Madison Avenue in Winslow.

Wyatt Cottages will be built on two parcels bordering an apartment complex and the Madison Tot Lot (see the embedded site plan).

Madison Avenue Development and the island’s park district had discussed a land swap that would have relocated the tot lot to the corner of Wyatt and Madison.

That plan was unpopular with park-goers and eventually nixed.

According to documents posted by the city, the park district and developer did agree to an easement which will allow the access road for the development to cross the southwest corner of the park district’s tot lot parcel.

In exchange, the district will be able to use the new driveway for park access.

According to a project narrative filed last year, Wyatt Cottages is designed to be a “low scale, walkable neighborhood of single-family homes.” Each house will have a private garden space and a roof oriented to maximize exposure for solar panels.

Comments on the land use decision will be accepted through May 27.