JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Neighbors living on or near Biscayne Boulevard are for affordable housing, just not the kind proposed to go in their neighborhood.
At Tuesday night's Land Use and Zoning meeting, dozens spoke against a proposal to bring a 108-unit apartment complex off Biscayne Boulevard, ranging in price from $1000-$1500 per month.
"It looks like a 1958 motel, that's not affordable housing, that's saying because you can't afford good housing, you have to live in a dump," a neighbor said during public comment.
The city’s land use and zoning committee voted to approve the proposal despite pushback from neighbors, who cited flooding and traffic concerns.
Most talked about the aesthetic of the apartments, stating that it's something that doesn’t fit in their neighborhood. Other neighbors said they want to see single-family homes or townhomes.
The developer, who was at the meeting, said the design was intentional and the apartments are made of steel and will last longer than wood builds.
For hours, neighbors told the developer and committee how they felt.
“Those steel buildings she’s talked to that’s fine big lightning rod is what it is,” one neighbor said.
“The community is not against affordable housing we are against housing that is incompatible with brick houses built in the 80s and 90s and the new subdivisions that are being built," another said.
The committee voted 5-2 in favor of the proposal.
The members who voted in favor say they didn’t think matching the aesthetic of the neighborhood was a good enough reason to vote down the project.
Council member Rahmen Johnson and District Council Member Reggie Gaffney Jr. voted against the plans.
Gaffney Jr. called out his fellow council members who voted for the project.
“I’m just disappointed and frustrated you guys go do what you want to do your minds already made up it’s obvious you don’t care about what the community had to say tonight," Gaffney Jr. said.
The proposal will now head to next week's city council meeting for final approval.