Community members in south Toledo aren't happy with the city's plans to rezone the Southland Shopping Plaza parking lot to make way for an apartment complex and they are making their views known.
The city of Toledo is moving to re-zone the lot into a residential area, making way for an affordable housing apartment complex being proposed by national firm MVAH Partners.
"We all support low and moderate-income housing in the city of Toledo. The issue we have is with the location of that property, which is totally inappropriate for this place," said resident Jeffrey Johnston.
Johnston says the area would be better off with more businesses coming to the mall.
"Earnest Brew Works is coming here. It's a substantial investment. We need more investment like that and we think that if management was better they could attract it," said Johnston, speaking about Southland management.
Other neighbors say the area doesn't make sense for an apartment complex.
"It just doesn't seem appropriate to re-zone a commercial parking lot into a residential. It's just not a neighborhood. It's not a residential setting," said resident Brad Rossi.
They also say the surrounding businesses should deter anyone from building a complex.
"Just look at your view. It's the back of a McDonald's and Arby's," said Rossi. "Everybody's going to be smelling like quarter pounders and french fries."
Most importantly, community members want a better explanation for why the building should be there in the first place.
City Council's zoning committee is holding a meeting on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at One Government Center, where they will decide whether or not to approve the change.
The commission has indicated they are in favor of recommending approval.
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