The developers chosen by the city of Bainbridge to build a new neighborhood on the Suzuki property said they fully expect the city to limit the size of the development in response to residents’ quest to preserve the forested land.

The Bainbridge council voted 5-2 at its last meeting to pick Olympic Property Group as its preferred developer for the Suzuki property, the city-owned 13.83-acre parcel at the southeast corner of New Brooklyn and Sportsman Club roads. The city bought the 14-acre Suzuki property in April 2000 with the idea to build a decent facility for its public works department and a combined police-court facility, but later abandoned the plans amid public opposition.

Olympic Property Group was one of three groups to submit development plans for the property in response to a city request for proposals, and city council members praised the company last week for its reliance on public involvement to help guide its projects.

Jon Rose, president of Olympic Property Group, promised “maximum dialogue” as the Suzuki project progresses.

“The first reaction is definitely grateful and honored for the opportunity and that’s followed very quickly by a sense of deep responsibility to do it right,” Rose said.

“There’s a real sense of responsibility on our team to do and deliver the best project and the best process,” he said.

Development of the Suzuki property has long raised the concerns of nearby neighbors and other islanders, who are worried about increased traffic, environmental impacts and dense development on Bainbridge. Some have also warned that development of the land will put the property’s old growth trees at risk, or damage a man-made pond that’s become a magnet for wildlife.

Those concerns continued at last week’s council meeting, with some citizens   asking the city to stop what they see as a rush to develop the property.

A move to preserve the property, however, fell to defeat on a 4-3 vote, with only council members Kol Medina, Ron Peltier and Sarah Blossom voting in favor of keeping the property as-is.

A subsequent vote to pick Olympic Property Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pope Resources, a timber company headquartered in Poulsbo, as the preferred developer of the Suzuki land passed on a 5-2 vote with only Medina and Peltier voting “no.”

The council has asked City Manager Doug Schulze to begin negotiating a development agreement with Olympic Property Group, and the council is expected to set out the boundaries of such a contract at its next meeting on April 12.

Council members also agreed to tap the city’s Environmental Technical Advisory Committee to help complete an ecological study of the property.

While council members voted for Olympic Property Group to join the city in developing the property, city officials also said the initial proposal offered by the company needed improvement.

Olympic Property Group and Davis Studio Architecture + Design had proposed a development called Suzuki Farm, a clustered neighborhood with 52 homes and a community center that could host a Boys & Girls Club. Homes would include affordable housing, self-help housing and market-rate housing. The company had also offered to buy the land from the city for $2.4 million in cash.

The call for changes isn’t surprising, said Rose, who has lived on Bainbridge since 2002.

Rose said he expects the city to limit how much of the land will be developed, given the extensive public input about preservation of the property.

“Whatever footprint they deem should be preserved, we will be happy to work within that footprint,” Rose said.

“The project is going to get right-sized,” he said. “Shame on us or anyone else who didn’t hear the messages delivered loud and clear.”

Rose also said the type of affordable housing, the number of units and other details will also be hammered out as the process unfolds.

“Our goal is to deliver a well-designed, well accepted project in a process that is respectful and transparent,” Rose said. “We’re going to design a process that is very, very heavy on public interaction.”