AUBURN - Some local residents are concerned about a housing development proposed for a west-end neighborhood.

A number of those residents voiced their opposition Tuesday to the Auburn Planning Board during a public hearing.

The development in question proposes building 30 semi-detached homes and a community building on 8.5 acres off Clark Street and Belmont Avenue. The units would be available to low-income renters, families with developmentally disabled members and those in need of other human services, according to the proposal.

Linda Cotler was one of five local residents who said they were not properly notified by the city or the developers about the project. Cotler, who lives in the neighborhood, said she has already received 70 signatures for a petition against the housing units.

“We're in a position where so many people weren't notified,” Cotler said. “There isn't one person who wants this to go through.”

Some who spoke out against the project predicted the units will negatively impact the neighborhood's quality of life, adding to traffic, noise and light pollution.

Local resident Tony Siracusa told the board he is worried about the people who would be living there. A number of low-income housing units already exist on Belmont Avenue, with “garbage all over the place,” Siracusa said.

“Nobody is going to take care of them,” he said of the proposed units.

The development would consist of two and three-bedroom units, according to the presentation given to the board. Syracuse-based Two Plus Four Companies would manage and own the units, and Cayuga County Homsite Development would be a partner in ownership.

The $6.8 million project would be financed by the New York State Housing Trust Fund, Two Plus Four President Susan Bacon Kimmel said. While the city of Auburn will not provide funds, Kimmel said the developers might still approach the city for payment in lieu of taxes.

Kimmel said the two-room homes would be available to incomes between $12,200 and $16,350, and the three-room homes to incomes between $18,275 and 19,900. But she also said the project does not involve rental assistance, and all tenants more than 18 years old will undergo criminal and credit background checks.

“If they have any felony conviction, they cannot live in these units,” she said.

Kimmel also encouraged residents to take a look at other local housing units her company manages, such as Auburn Heights and Northbrook Courts, and see how the company manages its properties.

Not everyone who spoke during the public hearing was opposed to the project. Seneca County resident Cynthia St. George, who works with the Seneca-Cayuga ARC, urged those listening to consider the people who need those types of developments to have a place to live.

“It's always about 'not in my backyard,'” said St. George, who did not initially attend the meeting to speak at the hearing. “Our consumers need a place to live, too.”

The board took no action on the issue Tuesday, though a vote on the proposal could take place at next month's meeting.

The city Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to consider two items related to the project - a request for a zoning variance and an environmental review - at its May 26 meeting. There will be a formal public hearing on the project at that meeting, as well.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.