BATON ROUGE - A proposed development in the Staring Lane area has caused controversy among current area residents.

On Saturday (Dec. 12), a handful of frustrated homeowners in Santa Rosa on Boone Drive took to the streets with signs and a very clear message, as they spoke out against the construction of a proposed development that city officials will soon consider approving. 

A developer is requesting the land that's right next door to Santa Rosa and locals are concerned that moving forward with the development will cause additional area flooding and negatively impact their neighborhood's peace and quiet.

But their central reason for speaking out against the proposed community boils down to the fact that its developer wants to use Santa Rosa's entrance as an entry point into the new neighborhood.

Residents of Santa Rosa, staunchly against this idea, fear that sharing their neighborhood's entrance will not only lead to an unnecessary uptick in traffic, but to accidents.

"Some of them (area drivers) do not obey the speed limit," said one resident. "It's very dangerous to get across there (the entrance to Santa Rosa). And if you're going to be making a U-turn there, you're going to have crash after crash after crash." 

So, Santa Rosa's outspoken residents brought their concerns to city leaders. But even after explaining their position, many felt their arguments weren't taken seriously.

Zack Smith, a three-year resident said, "Quite frankly, we feel like we're just being railroaded." 

Determined to be heard, they brought their message to the streets in the form of a Saturday afternoon protest.

The proposed development is expected to go to the local planning and zoning commission on Monday. If approved by the commission, it will then be handed over to the Baton Rouge Metro-Council for final approval.