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Palm Beach Gardens development draws controversy

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For Cheryl and Marty Roker, it's the perfect location. 

"We moved here from Hollywood, which is very loud and busy, we've been there and done that," Cheryl says.

They have a quaint house, in a spacious rural area - and the biggest perk of them all.

"You hear that now?" Marty says, cupping his hand to his ear. "Quiet."

It may come as a surprise that after just three months here, Cheryl and Marty say they're making moving plans. 

"My wife is adamant, we're out of here," Marty says. "You know what they say, happy wife, happy life." 

All of this talk is concerning the proposed Avenir community development.

The site takes up more than 4,700 acres occupying an area north of Northlake Boulevard and south of Beeline Highway. 

The project includes 3,700 single family homes, 250 townhouses, 400,000 square feet of retail space and a 300-room hotel. 

To accommodate it all, many roads in the area would have to be widened. 

That concerns restaurant manager Devon Bull, who's worried about the wildlife that could be affected. 

Project developers promise to dedicate about 2,400 of the 4,700 acres for conservation. 

"It's a lot of preserve space that's gonna be taken up," Bull says.

For him, It presents a personal conflict; getting rid of the green may just bring in more dough. 

"For the business, I'm all for it, you know?" he says. "Love having more people around." 

Marty says the project is not worth the problems it comes with. 

"All it's going to bring me is aggravation," he says. "Traffic, noise...it's not going to make me any money." 

Wednesday, the Palm Beach Gardens city council will vote on the Avenir community development project.

On Monday, West Palm Beach voted against land use changes to accommodate the massive development.

The meeting in Palm Beach Gardens will get underway Wednesday at 7 p.m. at city hall, and it should be a packed house.

If approved, don't expect to see the community rise up out the ground overnight.

It's a 20-year project, with phase one set to begin in the next five years. That will bring 1,000 homes and half the planned commercial space.