The community of farmers and residents along Sunnyside Road are concerned over what a proposed neighborhood development could mean for their daily lives.

Developer Keeven Family Partnership has expressed interest in building dozens of homes in a 12-acre area between Sunnyside Road and the Country Lake Golf Course. Having annexed the property into the city of Warrenton earlier this year, the developer is now asking the city to change the zoning on the 12 acres from agricultural use to residential.

That rezoning request got a negative recommendation from Warrenton’s Planning and Zoning Commission Aug. 6, after neighbors came out to voice their concerns.

Neighboring property owners said they were first afraid that Keeven planned to build an apartment complex. They weren’t much relieved to hear the actual rezoning request could allow around 60 homes instead.

“We don’t have 55 houses on the whole road of Sunnyside. You could see how that’s going to increase the population out there, and the traffic on the county road,” said farmer George Jedwski. He said that could create a dangerous traffic situation for farmers and new homeowners alike. “We have large farm machinery that we run up and down Sunnyside, and it’s a narrow road.”

Even without the development, he and others said there’s been a growing amount of traffic on the road, with accidents leading to fence damage that could have allowed cattle or other farm animals to escape.

He asked the planning commission to only approve residential development if it is at a lower density of one home per acre, which would be a better fit for the agricultural area.

Fellow neighbor Jean Nock agreed that the city should limit development to something that doesn’t clash with the surrounding land usage and character of the area.

“These are heritage farms. ... They’re family farms,” Nock said. She argued that anyone who has moved to a rural area like Sunnyside has done so to get away from the higher density development that’s now being proposed.

Engineer Bart Korman, with Lewis and Bade, spoke on behalf of the developer. If the property is rezoned for residential housing, Keeven only plans to build around 37 homes, Korman said.

“The main question here is, what is this property’s best use? What can we do with it to help the city grow?” Korman commented.

Planning Commission Chair Rich Barton added that officials shouldn’t be quick to dismiss a housing development that could potentially offer affordable homes to new families.

“When I moved here in 1989, there was no place for me to live,” Barton commented. “One thing that we’ve tried to address for years is trying to find places for young professionals to move into this community.”

Still, Barton was among a block of four commissioners who voted against the rezoning change from agriculture to residential. Four commissioners voted in favor.

Their vote will be given to the Warrenton Board of Aldermen for final consideration on Sept. 1 It will be up to aldermen whether the development is able to proceed as proposed.