Bainbridge Island: Lynwood Center–Faulty Towers and Squeaky Wheels
Yesterday, Bill and I drove around checking out a little real estate, but we had to serpentine to avoid throngs of bicyclists taking part in the annual Chilly Hilly .
Yes, I know we could have used the exercise ourselves. But driving did have a certain Xbox 360 quality as we pulled onto Wyatt Way, trying to avoid the endless stream of lycra-spandex bike tights that kept coming at us out of nowhere.
We stopped in to take a gander at the Tudor-style Lynwood Center complex which includes commercial space and 9 apartments and has recently gone up for sale for four million bucks. (It houses the Historic Lynwood Theatre, the Tree House Café (home to great pizzas, lattes and salads) and some other businesses. We didn’t park, due to clusters of neon-clad latte drinkers lining the café’s sidewalk.
We did stay there long enough to realize for the first time in 13 years that this complex sits right by the water, yet it’s built with its back to the water! How funny!
Then we cruised up the hill across the street to check out the future location of the recently city-approved Blossom Hill development, designed by architect Charlie Wenzlau–to be built by Bainbridge High class of ’77 developer Bill Nelson. It is my understanding that Blossom Hill will offer clustered single-family residences and townhouses overlooking Lynwood Center and Pleasant Beach Bay.
Even with concerns voiced by some of the neighbors about an apparent fault line that runs through the Blossom Hill area (details!) and the addition of a bunch more cars zipping along Lynwood Center Road (what’s a few more Hummers going 55 to catch the ferry?) right now the hill exudes a certain mud pile ambiance, so I say bring on the granite countertops and stainless steel refrigerators. I don’t know how Nelson can go too deeply wrong if he sticks with Wenzlau-esque community-centered design.
Nelson’s also taken on the formidable task of preserving and refurbishing the old manor house that sits up on the hill–where many an island restaurant has churned out many a Northwest specialty over the years. The manor house will be the future home of yet another fabulous restaurant once Nelson works his magic.
Like Winslow, Lynwood Center is trying to grow up. I’m thinking, as we pull away, going 10 miles an hour to avoid smushing our biking brothers and sisters–that we’ll see how it feels around that neck of the woods once those 80 homes go in.
I just hope that whatever happens with Blossom Hill, it’s a tad less beige than the mixed use condo building that sit just down the road apiece and houses the popular little Walt’s grocery store and the remarkable Sawan Thai restaurant> . (I’m sure the dreaded Haagen-Dazs Coffee hue is through no fault of their own)
Now how about bike trails out to Lynwood Center and connecting up with Winslow? There are a lot of people
working to make Bainbridge a more bike friendly environment , and as we build out our little satellite business centers–Lynwood Center and Rolling Bay, it seems to me that the opportunity to link up is at hand.
