Dozens of Madeira Beach residents gathered at a condo clubhouse on Saturday morning to organize against two proposed developments. The residents fear the projects will add congestion and take away the city's quaint atmosphere.
One of the proposed projects is called Holiday Isle. It's located just off the causeway.
The other project will be located on 150th Avenue. The two proposals will add hundreds of condo units and hotel rooms to the quiet beach town. Some residents fear high-rise buildings will make Madeira Beach feel like nearby Clearwater Beach.
"What the city wants to do is kind of Clearwater-ize, Madeira Beach particularly the central business section," said resident Bill Gay.
Gay worries what the influx of traffic will do to community roads. He said it'll also cause evacuation problems during a hurricane.
"It's going to dump 12,000 more cars a day onto the streets here," said Gay. It's going to cause problems here it's going to cause public safety problems when you have huge crowds of people here."
Developers of the project said they are working with F-DOT on traffic issues. They also said the projects should help beautify the Madeira Beach area.
Both plans still need final approval from city leaders.
