City Councilman Rahman Johnson hosted a community meeting, bringing neighbors and developers face-to-face to air their thoughts about the project.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Neighbors on Jacksonville’s Westside voiced strong opposition Monday to a proposed 89-home subdivision in the Duclay Forest area, near Morse Avenue and Seaboard Avenue, with fears of traffic congestion and the loss of their rural neighborhood character.

City Councilman Rahman Johnson hosted a community meeting at a local library, bringing neighbors and developers face-to-face to air their thoughts.

“You don’t understand the magnitude of it,” one resident said during the discussion.

Tanya Wells, a lifelong neighbor, says the area can’t sustain more development.

“Our road, I mean, we just can’t handle it,” Wells said.

Neighbors say they are aware growth is inevitable, but the overpopulation is a problem.

“Do we have a problem with new homes? No. Do we have a problem with homes that are affordable? No. We have a problem with homes that are small, not well-built and overpopulating that community,” Wells said.

Developers defended the proposal as essential to Jacksonville’s growth. They cited the city’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan, which calls for 92,000 new housing units citywide to match population demands.

“From the outside, when things like this happen, it is sort of startling,” the developers told the group. “It’s a big change, but the reality is, this is how homes are built and this is how cities grow.”

The team has deferred twice to the Land Use and Zoning Committee (LUZ), each a two-week legislative cycle, and expects to defer again next Tuesday.

“The community’s voice needs to be heard,” Council Member Johnson said. “That’s why they sent me downtown from the Westside to ensure that their voices are heard on the council. It’s not just for me to come and listen to them, but if there’s an opportunity for the community to dialog with the developer, this is what the government looks like.”

This is not a done deal. Developers are revising the plan before it advances to LUZ for a recommendation, then the full Jacksonville City Council for a final vote. Neighbors can testify at future public hearings. Johnson said he plans to keep hosting discussions as the process continues.