Controversy is growing in Maitland where people are fired up over plans to build up downtown. Their concern is that it’s too much too soon and it could mean the end for a local park.

For years, proposals have gone up just to be shot down when it comes to planning a Downtown for Maitland. But this time around, developers are making headway with plans that could get the green light as early as this week.

“We’ve changed the comprehensive plan to allow for this amount of density as well as the height,” said Verl Emrick, Community Redevelopment Agency director.

One proposal would bring residential units, restaurants, retail, office space and a parking garage to a lot known as the old Winn Dixie site. That spans through the New Traditions Bank Plaza. The plans would utilize every square inch and would stack up to seven stories.

“It’s an important piece of property, but not six and seven stories all right. Three to four and fit in with the neighborhood scale and character of what is around here,” said Roxanne Johnson, an opponent for the plans.

The folks picketing against the plans point to The Villages at Lake Lily for being too dense, and said these new plans would be too much for the area.

“We would like for them to minimize traffic and we would like for them to redevelop in a way that is more Park Avenue, Winter Park,” Johnson said.

But one way the city is trying to tackle future traffic problems is by incorporating more parking. And one plot of land already putting up construction tape is the park next to City Hall. It already has parking spots around the grassy areas, but the new plans would call for a three story garage with retail space.

“Everybody voices a need for downtown and parking is an integral part of that,” Emrick said.

The City said the park would not be eliminated, but redesigned. The retention pond would be filled in to allow more room for pedestrians. But opponents for this change said this land was always designated to be parkland and don’t want to see this area turned into a traffic jam.

The next City Council meeting will be Thursday, Oct. 23 in City Hall at 5:30 p.m. That’s when council members plan to vote on three development proposals. Officials said they expect it to be a crowded and lengthy meeting that could go all night.