JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Long-time residents and neighbors are pushing back against a new housing development proposal in Oceanway.
On Monday, they made their voices heard at a community meeting over a plan to rezone a section of Yellow Bluff Road and Jake Road to add 60 homes.
“I didn’t move out here to be part of an urban setting,” said Jason Rife, a neighbor. “We have a little over two acres of our own and we’d like to keep it that way.”
Jason Rife is one of dozens of Oceanway neighbors who have spoken out against the project.
Just north of that property, there were already 189 homes approved last year.
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The big question from homeowners: what’s the need for so many homes?
An agent representing the developer said he thinks there will be some sort of modification.
Developers said they wanted to hear the concerns from neighbors.
Neighbors told them, Yellow Bluff road is already a traffic headache and more people in their cars will make it worse.
Tom Mack, who’s lived in the Oceanway area for 20 years, said he knows he can’t stop new developments entirely. Still, he is hopeful they can do something to maintain the area’s rural feel.
“What we are trying to do at this point is have them adjust their thinking on this to have lesser homes, more acreage and think about what you are going to do as far as the roads,” said Mack.
There was a hearing scheduled for this proposal at the City Council meeting Tuesday, but Action News Jax was told that hearing was deferred.
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