To the editor:

Reading that a majority of city council members have voted to develop Suzuki woods is disheartening to say the least, particularly after seeing so many islanders speak out against the proposed development.

Fifty-two housing units, a community center, a Boys and Girls Club, a farm, an orchard, and parking for up to 123 vehicles, all on 14 acres! Really?

The Island’s Realtors, bankers and the Chamber of Commerce must be pleased, but I am not. Beyond the loss of green space, the net result of this ill-conceived project is simply more new residents and their cars with the attendant strain on our limited resources.

How much more water can we pull from the ground of an island surrounded by saltwater? And how much more noise pollution, light pollution and traffic jams are we willing to accept?

And, of the 52 housing units, 18 are designated “affordable?” How does this fit with the feel-good gesture of some islanders who pushed for the project and published an ad calling this “a model development for environmentally sensitive affordable housing.” They also refer to it as “sustainable” development. Huh? When do they figure those trees and the critters that live among them will reproduce after they’ve been covered in concrete? In sad irony, they framed their advertisement with a forest scene.

Although three council members attempted to preserve the woods (thank you Kol Medina, Ron Peltier and Sarah Blossom) the prevailing mindset of too many islanders now is to create an urban landscape, apparently like the last one they fled.

Attempting to drive, park or shop on the island is becoming an exercise in frustration. And what a change this is from the days when it was common to see bumper stickers that said “Keep Bainbridge Rural.” Someone is even pushing to build tennis courts on the Sakai property — across the road from the high school tennis courts!

Instead of “Keep Bainbridge Rural” the current zeitgeist for some appears to be “Don’t Save It — Let’s Pave It.”

ROGER JACKSON

Bainbridge Island