It was standing room only at Monday's Monroe County Planning and Zoning board meeting.
On the agenda: a proposed 72-unit low income housing apartment complex on New Forsyth Road.
Alabama-based company Vantage Development proposed the project. Jordan Whiteside represented the company at the meeting and argued that the apartments would bring tax revenue and jobs to the county.
"We're not someone that comes in and develops these things and runs away," she said. "We have our own construction company, we'll hire locally (and) buy supplies locally."
Whiteside said that the proposed apartments would take advantage of the federal low income housing tax credit program. According to her, that tax credit would allow the apartment complex to defray costs and keep rent roughly 10% below market rates. For one to three bedroom units, Whiteside said monthly rent would likely range from $500 to $700.
She added that the apartments would be income restricted, which means people making above a certain amount of money would not be eligible to live there. Whiteside did not give a specific figure for what that income threshold would be.
However, her arguments in favor of the apartments didn't seem to persuade many people in the room.
"Three things I'd like to say about this complex -- 'Don't want it, don't want it, don't want it,'" said Stuart Hammock, drawing loud applause from the crowd.
He summed up the room's opinion pretty well. Some there were worried the project would lower property values nearby. Others were concerned about traffic.
"I mean, it's horrible," said one resident. "Everybody has to go back way through Bass Plantation to get to their homes in the afternoons."
Still others worried the new apartments would attract families which could put too many kids in the school system.
However, nearly everyone in the audience agreed the project wasn't welcome in Monroe.
After deliberating, planning and zoning board member Richard Ezelle drew cheers from the crowd with a motion to decline the apartment application.
The other two board members present at the meeting, Chuck Benson and Michael Brewster, agreed. The three voted unanimously to decline the project.
It now moves to the county commission for a final vote on May 1.