Prospect residents say a new proposal to bring affordable housing to their posh area of eastern Jefferson County is "unfair" and "smells like socialism."

But this time, a spokeswoman for the developer said, the project is "properly zoned and only needs ministerial approval to move forward."

LDG Multifamily LLC's plan for Prospect Family Apartments calls for around 160 units to be built on a 13-acre site at 10500 and 10600 U.S. 42. It would include 40 one-bedroom and 60 two-bedroom units of affordable housing for residents of the Beecher Terrace complex, which is being razed in the Russell neighborhood west of downtown, according to a resolution reviewed by the Louisville Metro Housing Authority in May.

"Tenants will not be required to pay more than 30% of their monthly gross income," the resolution says.

This project is separate from the Prospect Cove affordable senior housing proposal that is pending a lawsuit, LDG spokeswoman Christi Lanier-Robinson said. It also doesn't require a zoning change because the property is already zoned for multifamily use, she said.

Prospect Mayor John Evans, who cited increased traffic as a reason he and his constituents oppose the Prospect Cove project, agrees the new proposal is different.

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The Prospect Family Apartments plan is proposed for just outside the city limits and is much smaller than the Prospect Cove plan, which calls for a 198-unit complex for seniors over age 55 on a 10-acre plot at 6500 Forest Cove Lane and 7301 River Road.

The mayor said he can see lines of cars backed up to get into Oldham County from his office window, which faces U.S. 42. With a new development, there may be even more traffic, he said.

Meanwhile, residents of the area are taking to the Nextdoor social network to object to the new plan.

One person wrote that it seemed "unfair" to the residents because their property values would likely drop: “It’s a tough situation. It is nice to integrate neighborhoods and have multiple socio-economic levels in (the) area, but basically destroying property values seems really unfair.”

Another wrote, "We will be picking up the tab for police, ambulance services, etc, for a population that overuses them and produces no tax base for our community."

For many, a big issue was the social status of living in Prospect and how it might be diluted by easier access.

“Took me 30 years to earn my way to Prospect," one person wrote. "But now people are being given almost free tickets to live here. Smells like socialism.”

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The average home value in Prospect is about $400,000, according to several real estate websites. A home on 5 acres adjacent to the site of the proposed development is valued at $1.2 million, according to the Jefferson County Property Valuation Administration.

A couple of residents who live near the site said they had no problems with affordable housing coming there, despite concerns about decreases in property values. They said they're concerned about traffic increasing along U.S. 42 and the lack of sidewalks and a bus stop in the area.

Robert Boyd, who lives near the site, said traffic backs up around rush hour each day and he's worried the development would just add to that problem. Decreases in property values are an excuse people fall back on, he said, but what he'd really like to see is proper infrastructure concerns addressed.

"I'm not opposed to it," he said, adding that he's concerned about room in schools and available jobs. If the new residents don't have transportation, they could be stranded, he said. And if they do, an existing traffic problem could get worse.

Mikell Grafton, who lives across the street, lamented that the property is teeming with wildlife that could be ruined.

She and other neighbors wishthat they would have been included in the conversation about the proposal and that the historical and ecological impact of the development would be considered.

The land is "one of the prettiest properties in Prospect." It's full of deer, rabbits and raccoons, she said. "A place where you're going to put up a gigantic parking lot and a big, spread out development is gonna decimate that beautiful area and harbor for wildlife."

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While the development is "certainly going to affect the property values all around," Grafton added, she and others have "no problem with people moving there."

"All of us who have any kind of integrity recognize that people have to live somewhere," she said. "We don't expect people not to be able to move where they can be comfortable and take advantage of areas that are available for them to live."

The development, should it come, "will totally change the character" of the area, she said. "It's devastating, and at the same time, we know so little about it."

It's unclear when this proposal may be finalized.

Lanier-Robinson, the LDG spokeswoman, said the company's next step is financing the project over the next several months. LDG has already begun the process for submitting the proposal to the planning and zoning committee, where it will undergo a review.

Evans, the mayor, said he agrees the apartment proposal is almost reality, so he's more concerned with fighting Prospect Cove. Of the new plan, he said, "it is what it is."

Reach Sarah Ladd at 502-582-4078 or sladd@courier-journal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ladd_sarah. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.