JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 A controversial development proposal to bring 600 storage units to an Oceanway neighborhood will move forward after the Land Use and Zoning (LUZ) committee approved an appeal.<\/p>\n
Many residents pushed back against the development at Starratt and Yellow Bluff Road, expressing their frustration, stating that they did not learn about the idea until December, after one resident received a letter.<\/p>\n
\u201cStorage units are typically put in a light industrial area or what they consider leftover land area, like close to an interstate where nobody wants to live,\u201d Ruth Nelson-Peeples said.<\/p>\n
Residents attempted to express their concerns to the LUZ committee before the vote, but members still granted the appeal, overturning the Planning Commission\u2019s denial.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very disappointed in the LUZ,\u201d Nelson-Peeples said. \u201cWe did not feel like they listened to us whatsoever. This is the wrong location for storage units.\u201d <\/p>\n
Councilman Matt Carlucci, who supported the appeal, said while he understood residents\u2019 concerns, those issues couldn\u2019t legally be used to deny the project.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happens is we get taken to court, and we have to justify why did we deny it when our planning department, who our experts giving us confidence some central evidence, approved it?\u201d Carlucci said. \u201cSo then what happens is the judge says, you\u2019re wrong, the applicant wins, and then they don\u2019t come back here and they just build whatever they want.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neighbors said the councilman\u2019s explanation didn\u2019t sit right, and they urged city leaders to listen to their constituents.<\/p>\n
When asked what worries them most if council approved the proposal, residents said it\u2019s the pace and scope of what comes next: <\/p>\n
\u201cMore development is coming, with no signs of slowing down, and it\u2019s all happening fast,\u201d Risa Grant and Susan Shinego said<\/p>\n
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