A court motion brought by several Bainbridge Island residents was unsuccessful in halting a condominium/hotel/retail complex development project on High School Road near Highway 305. Construction on the project, known as “Island Crossings,” began in July after both the Bainbridge Island hearing examiner and Superior Court Judge Leila Mills decided in favor of the developer and the city.

The motion, brought by Linda O’Neil, Jeff Moore, Vince Mattson, and Lois Andrus, addressed three concerns: that an environmental impact statement was not completed for the project; that the only traffic study used was performed by the developer; and that the building, which will be 45 feet high, does not comply with rules requiring all buildings constructed on the island to be appropriate for the area where they are built.

“The developer’s traffic study didn’t take ferry traffic into consideration,” said O’Neil, who manages Virginia Villa Apartments, located close to the project. “And while a building of 45 feet does meet code, it just doesn’t fit in the area — it doesn’t fit anywhere on the island.”

Ultimately the complainants’ arguments were unpersuasive in court, and the project will now continue uncontested.

“If we appealed further and we lost, city law would require us to pay all court costs for both sides,” said O’Neil.

Kim Sorensen of Base Capital, which represents the owner/developer of the project, maintains that the project planning was completed with all due diligence, and that all concerns have been addressed and answered satisfactorily.

“The High School Road corridor was designed as the urban center of the island as a result of the Growth Management Act and we are building a project with more density then island residents are used to,” Sorensen said. “We have taken all the necessary procedural steps to obtain approval. We will be making some minor changes to the High School Road/305 intersection as required by the city, which should improve traffic. We are trying to make this a positive project that will be something the community can be proud of.”

O’Neil, who has taken an active interest in the project since she first received a notice from the planning commission about it two years ago, is frustrated with the process and the decision.

“It was basically a waste of my time and my money,” she said. “Before the written order was issued they had a building permit. I feel like it was a done deal before we even went to court. I don’t blame the developer. That’s their business and they are in it to make money. I blame the town. The town shouldn’t protect the developer, it should protect its residents.”

When completed in fall 2005, Island Crossings will include 60 condominiums, a 51-room Best Western Suites hotel, 1,500 square feet of retail space, and parking facilities that will accommodate up to 141 cars.