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ALBANY, GA. --
Lee County residents packed out the Lee County Commission meeting Tuesday night asking board members to preserve their way of life and to not allow rezoning to occur in their neighborhood.

Nordstar LLC has requested that commissioners approve their application to rezone land along the new Westover extension for commercial and residential use. They say this will bring business to the area.

“These will be real nice specialty stores for flower shops, insurance companies, and health food stores. It's a much needed retail sector for Lee County,” says Gary Eller, a representative for Nordstar LLC.

But Lee County residents who live in the Palmyra subdivision and other neighborhoods near that area object to the need for the expansion.

“Lee County doesn't need this. We already have a lot of commercial property right down Ledo Road,” says Cary Cato, a resident of the Palmyra subdivision.

Cato says contractors can used the existing rezoned areas for business purposes. He and many others say their neighborhood will take a direct hit from if rezoning were to happen.

“It's going to bring all this noise and traffic and take away from the tranquility and peacefulness of the subdivision because it's going to be just too close there,” says Winona Greenway, a resident of the Palmyra subdivision.

Residents say building commercial property along their neighborhood would lower their property value in addition to the potential for a high volume of traffic...but the company requesting the rezoning says this could benefit residents.

“Currently people are cutting from Ledo to Fussell cutting through that residential area and this should stop that cause now they can use Westover Road, so this will help Palmyra residents,” says Gary Eller.

Those who oppose the rezoning say it's not about helping residents or the community because it's more about money.

“They don't care who they have to hurt or what our property value goes to our whatever. They're just out for a fast buck,” says Cary Cato.

Lee County commissioners will vote on the rezoning issue on a later date.