Proposals to bring a car dealership and mixed-use town center to Avon have some residents concerned and several attended a planning and zoning meeting on Tuesday night as those plans were discussed.
One of the proposals involves turning the former Dakota Steakhouse, which has been vacant since 2011, and a neighboring property on Route 44 into a BMW dealership for pre-owned cars.
David Madsen, who lives across Route 44 from the proposed dealership, said the plan includes an eight-bay service center and he is concerned about traffic, lighting, crime and whether the project will pave the way for more dealerships to come into town.
“We're just questioning whether the size and scope of the project is suitable for the land that's here,” Madsen said.
Near town hall, other developers stepped forward in July with plans to build a walkable village center near Ensign and Bickford drives that would include stores, restaurants, offices and apartments.
Since then, those plans have been the subject of several planning and zoning commission meetings.
"I wouldn't want to see any sort of apartment building here or any really large stores because we already have some of those up the road," Tracey Backman, of Avon, said.
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Discussions over both projects have grown heated during past meetings, residents said.
