The District will be adding two new tennis courts, additional parking, a play area, and a restroom to Sakai Park. To see a presentation of the plan click here.

To learn more about the Sakai Park planning process, click here.

Rife Construction will begin foundation repair work on the Cave Family House May 15, 2023. Work will be completed by May 26, 2023.

The Grand Forest West parking lot is being expanded to improve parking access and safety for park patrons. The expansion area was designed to impact as few trees, and retain as many significant trees, as possible.

The new parking area will accommodate 12 new spaces.

View the site plan here.

Overview

In 2021, the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation provided an anonymous donation for approximately ten acres of land adjoining the west side of Strawberry Hill Park. Consistent with the donor’s desires, this area is the focus for a dog park expansion area and a non-motorized mountain bike course. A Park District citizen’s committee is spearheading design efforts for the mountain bike course with design assistance provided by the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance.

View the Bike Park presentation here and the design proposal here.

Current Updates and Timeline

The Bike Park conceptual design is nearly complete and will be presented to the Board on May 4 for final approval. The next steps will be to prepare construction documents and submit for permits to build the park, likely in phases, potentially beginning in late 2023 or early 2024.

May 2023 update:

The park board unanimously voted to approve the final bike park design and proceed with developing construction documents and issuing the construction bid at the May 4, 2023 park board meeting. To donate to the project, visit the Parks and Trails Foundation website.

View the May 4 presentation here.

Overview

In 2021, the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation provided an anonymous donation for approximately ten acres of land adjoining the west side of Strawberry Hill Park. Consistent with the donor’s desires, this area is the focus for a dog park expansion area and a non-motorized mountain bike course.

Current Updates and Timeline

The Dog Park expansion Invitation to Bid is being prepared, and the work should be completed by fall 2023.

Overview and Timeline

The Park District and Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation have entered into a project agreement. They will be working with a neighborhood committee to plan and fundraise for installing a new playground at the Fort Ward Parade grounds in the summer of 2023.

Historic Updates

The Park District Board of Commissioners was presented with three options, including the Parade Grounds option, at the July 21, 2022, board meeting and began taking public comments. Staff provided an update at the August 18, 2022, board meeting on the status of this project and the discussions with the neighborhood. An All Neighborhood Open Discussion was held at Fort Ward Hall (9705 NE Evergreen Ave.) on September 11 at 5:00pm. 

Fort Ward Play Area 2

Fort Ward Play Area 3

Fort Ward Playground Survey Results

Fort Ward Play Area Presentation

Fort Ward All Neighborhood Discussion Flyer
Fort Ward Play Area Presentation
Fort Ward Parade Grounds Plat Survey
Fort Ward Parade Grounds Transfer Agreement

Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District is partnering with Rent Mason Bees to help pollinate our trees and parks to help create a healthier ecosystem. We are releasing 1,600 mason bees near our historical orchards to help revive and strengthen our orchards and surrounding habitats.

About Mason Bees

Blue Orchard Mason bees DO NOT STING and are native to the Pacific Northwest. They are super pollinators and are vital to our food production and ecosystem. They belly–flop onto flowers and collect pollen all over their bodies, which enables them to pollinate 95% of the flowers they land on, and they can visit up to 2,000 blossoms a
day.

“Bees are a crucial part of our ecosystem,” says Jim Watts, owner of Rent Mason Bees. “A third of the food that we eat is directly pollinated by bees. We need bees to pollinate our food and we have to protect our bee populations.”

Solitary Bee Facts

• Solitary bees live alone and do not have a hive; they find their own nest, gather food, and lay their eggs.
• They are non–aggressive and don’t sting.
• Mason bees lay around 15 eggs yearly compared to honeybees that lay 2,000 eggs daily.
• Similar to a butterfly, the larva spins a cocoon, hibernates over winter then emerges as an adult bee.

How You Can Help

• Start at home. Do not use pesticides and plant a variety of flowers.
• Clean cocoons and nesting blocks yearly to rid elusive predators such as pollen mites and Houdini flies that can destroy bee populations.
• If you don’t want to commit to cleaning, you can rent bees!

Rent Solitary Bees

Rent Mason Bees is the only company in the country that brings gardeners and farmers together with their bee rental program. Solitary bees are the most accessible bees to host because they are low maintenance. Purchase a solitary bee kit, which includes bees, and hang it in your yard. Watch them pollinate, and your yard will thrive. In the fall, mail the nesting block back to Rent Mason Bees. They clean all cocoons and nesting blocks, and the following spring, your bees are sent to farmers to help pollinate orchards and increase food production. YOUR BEES MAKE FOOD!

Rent Mason Bees is a division of Watts Solitary Bees, family-owned and operated for over 56 years. Rent Mason Bees program offers a way to be involved in your food sources and promote healthier urban and rural ecosystems with minimal commitment. By utilizing gardeners, farmers can use these solitary bees to grow
more food. 

Overview

With the addition of the bike park, as well as the expansion of the dog park and skate park, the Park District is proposing a new concept plan for Strawberry Hill Park. This plan will exhibit how all the elements of the park will work together, including parking, utilities, and anticipated park use. Additionally, Strawberry Hill Park is looking into upgrading and providing turf overlay to two Little League fields and its overlay multi-use field for football, soccer, girls’ lacrosse, and ultimate frisbee.

In April 2022, the Park District hired the design firm Asakura Robinson to provide a conceptual design for Strawberry Hill Park. View the draft conceptual plan here. View concept alternatives here.

Current Updates and Timeline

The Park District’s consultants are finalizing the conceptual plan and preparing to submit the plan to the Park District Board of Commissioners by June 2023 for final approval.

The cost of the synthetic field proposal has come in much higher than expected. The Park District Board has directed staff to table that project until more information about the School District’s plans is determined.

Historic Updates

Strawberry Hill Park Update — March 9, 2023

The below letter was sent to stakeholders and nearby residents of Strawberry Hill Park:

Dear Residents and Stakeholders,

We are extending an outreach opportunity as a follow-up from last year’s effort to update the Park District’s concept plan for Strawberry Hill Park in coordination with the skatepark, bike park, and turf field improvements.

Please click on the concept plans to review. If you have any comments, please email us at perry@biparks.org and dan@biparks.org by March 30, 2023.

Thank you for your interest in the plan update. Download this letter here.

Overview

Strawberry Hill Park’s skate bowl has long served as an area amenity for skaters. A new design will complement the existing bowl by adding an area adjacent to the bowl for a skate program envisioned with ramps, stairs, and rail features with an exterior pump track. The Park District is being guided in its design by its citizen committee and Grindline Skateparks, Inc.

View the Strawberry Hill skate park information page here.

Funding for the skate park and pump track additions and the new mountain bike course is being assisted through partnership fundraising efforts with the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation.

Current Updates and Timeline

The Board of Commissioners voted to approve the design on April 20; fundraising and permitting will determine future phased development, which is not likely to begin any sooner than 2024.