The auditorium at the Baldwin County Central Annex in Robertsdale was once again packed Thursday night for the Baldwin County Planning and Zoning Commission’s monthly meeting.

This time, one major subdivision was the main focus of the crowd’s ire: Timberland Trace, a proposed 80-lot subdivision outside of Lillian, on U.S. Highway 98. The subdivision land is owned by Swift Land and Timber, LLC, but the developer of the subdivision is D.R. Horton. Around 100 people turned up in opposition to the subdivision, and commission Chairman Steven Pumphrey said the commission had received hundreds of letters in opposition to the subdivision.

“All of these [letters] are requesting that it be denied,” Pumphrey said during the meeting. “We understand there’s a large majority here tonight all in opposition.”

The commission was considering both re-zoning the land Timberland Trace would sit on, as well as the application for a planned residential development (PRD). Ultimately, the commission decided against both, voting to recommend denial of both applications. The final decision will lie with the Baldwin County Commission, which rules on zoning and PRD cases.

In a familiar refrain, residents of the Lillian area argued that the subdivision would strain the infrastructure of the area and disrupt the rural lifestyle that neighbors, primarily farmers, enjoy. David Williams, a resident of the area, pointed to recent traffic accidents on the stretch of Highway 98 and argued that adding more residents would make the situation more dangerous. In addition, Williams argued that the subdivision would make difficulties with flooding, emergency services, schools and the water and power systems worse.