More than a hundred Dunedin residents spoke up at a development review committee meeting Wednesday regarding a proposed town home project near Hammock Park.
- Developers interested in private property near Hammock Park
- Dunedin residents unsettled by proposition
- Wednesday's meeting saw more than 100 concerned residents
Developers are interested in purchasing eight acres from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. The land connects to the Hammock Park trails.
"It sickens me," said Jan Smith. "It makes me want to move. I moved here because I liked this atmosphere."
Concerned neighbors said the proposed development will destroy trees and kill wildlife.
"There's gopher tortoises," said Joseph Ishikawa. "There's hawks, there's bald eagles. It means so much to us we bought the house for this park and we're in it multiple times a day. It does so much for our mind, body and spirit."
City officials said nothing is finalized just yet.
Wednesday’s meeting was the first of many about the proposed development. Officials assured community members that their concerns aren’t falling on deaf ears.
"This is a very unusual set of this park area and that's why it's very special to the residents and even though this is privately owned, they're very concerned about those trees," said Planning and Development Director Greg Rice.
City officials also said they will be holding future meetings in a space that accommodates every member of the public who would like to attend.