Neighbors to Suzuki property object to plan to develop land, while others decry lack of affordable housing

Published 10:54 pm Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Bainbridge residents — including two candidates for the vacant city council seat — are split on what the city should do with the Suzuki property, a 13.83-acre parcel of undeveloped land that sits at the southeast corner of New Brooklyn and Sportsman Club roads.

Four proposals for development of the property have been submitted: from Cutler Anderson Architects; the Housing Resources Board; Housing Kitsap; and Arcstudio. Three of the proposals envision a housing development comprised of affordable housing and market-priced housing arranged in the center of the property, with the sloping edges of the property remaining undeveloped, while the fourth option contains a mix of housing, community, commercial and municipal uses.

At the city council meeting Tuesday, views on what to do with the property largely fell along two lines: neighbors to the Suzuki property and others who don’t want to see the land become home to a dense new neighborhood, and those who want the property developed with affordable housing units.

At the start of the discussion, however, Councilwoman Sarah Blossom said the city should look at an option that hasn’t been the topic of much talk lately; leaving the land as-is.

“That’s not something we’ve really asked ourselves,” Blossom said.

The recent push to have the property developed was due to the Housing Resources Board, she noted.

“At times I feel like I’m being a little bit steamrolled,” Blossom said.

Residents who live near the property told the council that cramming a bunch of new homes into a high-density project would create traffic problems in the neighborhood. Others said the land should be kept undeveloped as a way to maintain a corridor for wildlife and to help clean stormwater that flows through the area.

Leslie Marshall told the council that development could put the wetlands on the property at risk and she didn’t want the city to have an “oops moment” that Bainbridge would later regret.

“We could screw it up, and let’s not do that. We could need that water as the world warms,” Marshall said.

The Suzuki property was purchased more than a decade ago by the city as the site of a combined police-courthouse building and sewage decant facility.

That plan fell through after a consultant found that new police facilities would be better placed in the downtown area and residents objected to having a decant facility built in their neighborhood.

The fate of the property was put on hold in 2008 despite recommendations to use the land for affordable housing.

Greg Millerd, a candidate for the vacant council seat, said he was worried about the disruption to the existing neighborhood that putting homes on the land could bring.

“I’m not in favor of development of the property,” Millerd said.

John Green, also a candidate for the open council seat, reminded the council he was on the task force in 2008 that reviewed what should be done with the property. That group came up with a plan to intensify the zoning of the land so affordable housing could be constructed.

“It was a very doable plan,” Green said.

Affordable housing projects depend on a developer getting land at the right price, he said.

“The Suzuki property is a gem for affordable housing,” he said.

Green said he couldn’t understand how the island could set aside more land as unused open space when there were people who couldn’t afford to live and work on Bainbridge.

“Affordable housing is critical on this island,” Green said.

Others asked the council to seek input beyond the familiar voices that have been raised at previous workshops and meetings.

Mike Spence, a member of the Bainbridge Island School Board, encouraged the council to reach out to the school district, parks district and other government entities on the island to take a broad look at the unused land holdings that each government has and take a comprehensive look at the future use of public land.

The school district itself has land that will likely never be used for schools, Spence said.

Kirk Robinson, a member of the board of commissioners for the Bainbridge parks district, also pledged the district’s support in such a discussion.

That idea was embraced by Mayor Anne Blair, who said the city should pursue that approach through upcoming meetings of the Intergovernmental Working Group, a group made up of elected officials and staff members from all of the governments on Bainbridge Island that meets on a regular basis.

Though a large part of the capacity crowd at city hall were left without a clear indication of what the council may eventually decide to do with the Suzuki property, Councilman Wayne Roth encouraged the public to stay involved.

“I’d hate to see this much energy go out of the room tonight and dissipate,” Roth said.