BATON ROUGE - An exciting new development—The Village at Magnolia Woods—is going to be presented to the Planning Commission. However, with 71 homes and retail space, not everyone is sold on the idea.

“I’ve been in construction my whole life and I know that it inherently brings crime to an area with all the materials and subcontractors coming in and out. Also, traffic. This is an extraordinarily busy road and it’s just going to get worse with construction,” resident Taylor Landry said.

If approved, the development will be a part of the Magnolia Woods neighborhood on the corner of Highland Road. Landry has already had trouble with city trucks that came to clear the land.

“They were coming to cut this brush off the road, and a piece of steel from their machine ricocheted off the pavement and almost hit my neighbor ten feet away. Instead, it hit my Jeep, busted the front windows out and now I’m having to deal with the city and development hasn’t even started yet,” Landry said.

The proposed Village at Magnolia Woods includes 71 homes on 20 acres with an area dedicated to a commercial district. Some expected businesses include a gym and coffee shop. It will also include green space such as a park and a pond for residents.

“Our general attitude is wide ranging. We have a lot of residents with different thoughts and opinions about the development. Our primary objective is to make sure our residents have the necessary tools and information to develop their thoughts, communicate them effectively and advocate for the things they care about,” Jennifer Dietz, President of The Magnolia Woods Civic Association, said.

The Planning Committee has not had a formal meeting about the development yet. It is set to take place in the upcoming months.

Developers say they are proactively designing the project to comply with the new drainage standards proposed by the Metro Council due to take effect later this year.