If the three City Council members representing Newtonville are an indication, a proposal to replace a block of buildings at the corner of Washington and Walnut streets will need some changes before it has any chance of approval.

It’s still very early in the process, but Councilors Susan Albright, Emily Norton, and Jake Auchincloss all say they are looking for modifications from developer Robert Korff.

The changes could include reducing the size and height of the new building proposed for the site; adding affordable units, green space, bike racks and LEED certification; reducing surface parking areas; and improving conditions for pedestrians.

Many also say the developer should address the displacement of residents.

“Fear is now in the heart of renters,’’ Tricia Cunningham, who rents an apartment abutting the proposed development, wrote in an e-mail to the Globe.

Preliminary plans unveiled at a community meeting Feb. 11 call for a six-story building with 151 one- and two-bedroom apartments, 26 of which would be affordable. The development would replace eight buildings that now house Karoun Restaurant, Newtonville Camera, the Boston Ballet School, and 10 apartments.

Current plans also include underground parking for around 190 tenants’ cars, and surface parking for 93 cars.

At the meeting, many of the same people who opposed the Austin Street development on the other side of the Massachusetts Turnpike raised similar concerns about Korff’s project.

“A lot of us think it’s just too big,’’ said Newtonville resident Peter Bruce.

After the meeting, Albright said she wants Korff to incorporate some of the design changes recommended by residents, including adding more landscaping and green space, and creating a more attractive outdoor cafe area.

With changes coming to Newtonville, Norton said she is keeping a keen focus on how Korff’s plans would affect the people who already live there.

“That means traffic and congestion, safety for pedestrians and cyclists, housing affordability, as well as scale,’’ she wrote in an e-mail.

An attorney for the developer said the message has been heard. A second meeting with the Newtonville Neighborhood Council is set for March 10.

“I don’t want to say there will be changes made by the next meeting, but we heard the concerns, and we will continue the dialogue,’’ attorney Stephen Buchbinder said Tuesday.

Buchbinder again reiterated Korff’s commitment to work with any tenants being displaced by his plans.

In addition to the eight buildings at the corner of Washington and Walnut streets, Korff said he has an agreement to purchase the adjacent property where there is a Sunoco gas station, and four multifamily homes along Washington Terrace.

Korff will need a two-thirds vote of the City Council, or 16 of 24 members, to get the special permit needed for the project. In addition, current zoning at the site would allow only five stories.

While Norton is concerned about the project’s size and impact, Auchincloss cited “walkability’’ and is looking for plans to include improvements to the Walnut Street bridge over the Mass. Pike.

“Newtonville wants to be made whole, and we should seize this opportunity,’’ he wrote in an e-mail.

Ellen Ishkanian can be reached at eishkanian@gmail.com.