SCITUATE, R.I. — The town’s zoning panel struggled with a large and sometimes difficult crowd Wednesday night as officials tried to take a final batch of input on a wildly unpopular development proposal for the Hope Mill.

Next month, the Zoning Board is expected to make a decision on the proposal to develop the historic Hope Mill into a 32-acre complex with 193 apartments.

Zoning officials have already taken extensive input on the project, which has drawn opposition from the Town Council and critics who cite a wide range of zoning concerns.

In general, the critics say that the complex would add too many apartments, bring too much traffic, raise environmental issues and change the character of what they regard as a rural village.

The zoning panel’s chairman, Dennis Charland, began the meeting by announcing that no decision would take place until next month.

“This is a project that will affect the town forever,” Charland said. “We understand that.”

After that, the panel took countervailing input on traffic studies, as lawyers sparred, and the crowd disrupted and slowed the process over a two hour period.

And then finally, members of the crowd spoke. They were asked to keep their input focused only on traffic issues.

Lincoln Sutcliffe talked about the bumper to bumper traffic that he already experiences on local roads. He said he doubts any traffic study that doesn’t show huge effect.

Another resident, Patricia Russell, has lived in the area for 24 years. She said that Scituate is trying to hold the line against the types of developments that threaten its character.

The town needs to preserve “open living,” she said.

“We need to definitely do something with the mill to preserve it,” she said. “I agree not to that magnitude.”

— mreynold@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7490

On Twitter: @mrkrynlds