BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Around 500 Palm Bay residents have signed a petition campaigning against a large apartment complex being built in their neighborhood.


What You Need To Know

  • Local residents are planning to fight a new development that will put apartment homes in Brevard County

  • So far, a petition to stop the work has 500 signatures

  • The meeting to decide on the project begins Thursday

Residents are upset the city is trying to cram a 175 unit apartment complex on an old estate at the end of Ladner Road off of Fallon Boulevard. They’re concerned about increased traffic, and the possibility their property values will plunge.

“We have a nice, quiet neighborhood here,” Paul Rosman, a local resident, told Spectrum News. “They want it to be upper-scale apartments, but I’ve seen them go downhill fast, and our property values will also go down.”

The site is a little over 500 feet from Rosman’s home. The city would have to re-zone the land from single family residential to multi-family residential.

Rosman was concerned the notice posted by the city wasn’t being seen by neighbors.

“The only traffic that would pass by here are people going onto the property,” he says.

That’s why Rosman wanted to get the word out, and fast. He began passing out flyers to neighbors with information about the project, and when to attend the upcoming council meeting where it’s being discussed. He’s even going door to door.

“Most people don’t want this going on, don’t want this going on in our neighborhood. They are more than willing to sign the petition,” said Rosman.

His efforts are getting attention, and he continues to work on the petition to stop the work.

“I’m very confident we are going to get this done and keep these apartments out of our neighborhood,” he said.

​Rosman and other neighbors are meeting Tuesday night to talk about their united front when they speak to Palm Bay City Council.

The council meeting to discuss the proposal is on Thursday at 6 p.m.