Residents in south Temple are up in arms at the prospect of building 143 duplexes near them and a church.

A zoning request is scheduled to go before the Temple Planning and Zoning Commission today concerning the plan to build near the intersection of Farm to Market Road 93 and Fifth Street.

Tim Dolan, planning director for the city, said a plat showing the layout of the proposed duplexes has not been filed with the city yet, and does not need to be filed as part of the zoning request.

Gale Mitchell, half owner of Boose-Mitchell Properties in Killeen, did not comment on details of his company’s zoning request, but confirmed that its plans did call for duplexes at the site.

The property being considered for zoning abuts two sides of Memorial Baptist Church property on Fifth Street.

Church officials did not comment on the proposed zoning change, but residents in the area have voiced opposition and filed a petition opposing the duplexes with the city planning department.

Janet Sossaman, a resident living in Echo Village, said she had walked door to door circulating the petition, which, on Friday afternoon had 36 signatures. She said duplexes built in the area could diminish property values.

“With the economy the way it is, I’m not sure we want any risk of property value going down any further,” Ms. Sossaman said.

She added that with two families living in each unit, traffic exiting onto FM 93 and Fifth Street could be increased drastically.

Don Grant, an engineering technician living in Echo Village, said he was also concerned about property values as well as the future of the duplexes.

“My concern is property values first, and everything that goes with it,” he said. “Who manages those (duplexes) and what does it turn into in 10 years?”

He said services would have to keep up with the possible burgeoning population the duplexes could generate.

“It’s a whole lot of people at the very edge of town,” he said. “Are they going to have services (such as bus routes)? Which schools will they go to?”

He said there is already heavy traffic along Fifth Street.

Cynthia Bankston, who lives within 200 feet of the zoning change and received a notification from the city, sent a return letter requesting that the city deny the request.

“This proposed zone change would devaluate my property and all properties near to it,” her letter said. “It would also drastically reduce the personal safety of myself and my neighbors.”

She said a possible increase in crime could result in the city having to increase patrols in the area.

“The proposed change involves building a huge community of little, tiny duplexes on little tiny lots,” she said. “We would be surrounded on two sides by all of that.”

She said the value of duplexes is not as much as that of surrounding homes, effectively devaluing existing homes in the area. She said most of the housing in the area ranges from about $130,000 to $300,000.

“… And now here comes a builder out of Killeen and he’s built many, many duplex developments in Killeen and the Harker Heights area, and he’ll make quick money on this,” she said.

“The city of Temple as a whole needs to ask, do we want a huge, low-value rental community to plop down right in the middle of developments that are moderately priced homes?” she asked.

“Temple could be left with a situation potentially where there will be a little community with a lot of crime, a lot of noise and violence,” she said. “In the long run, it will be a huge expense to the city.”

Dolan said seven residents live within the 200-foot distance from the area of the zoning request and notices were sent to them in accordance with law.

He said that as of Friday, two notices had been returned, both requesting denial of the zoning. He said more notices could be returned before the meeting.

He said it was unlikely the commission could deny the request based on the city staff determination that the request conforms to the city comprehensive plan, its thoroughfare plan and that adequate public facilities for water and sewer can be extended to the area.

The zoning change request is from agricultural district to two-family district on 43.2 acres of land at the northeast corner of the intersection, and a change from agricultural district to general retail district on 7.49 acres of land in the same area, and will include a public hearing.