Several Normandy Park residents are up in arms over a potential housing development they believe will cram too many houses in an area that's to small.

Developer John Kaleas, who owns 3.6 acres west of First Avenue South just south of South 202nd Street, wants to build 16 houses on the property.

He has asked the city of Normandy Park for a rezone that would allow him to subdivide the parcel into 16 lots. Current zoning limits any subdivision of the property to a maximum of eight lots.

Kaleas has said he purchased the land in 2001 with the intention of subdividing the land into nine lots.

But at a recent public hearing before the Normandy Park Planning Commission, Burce Horst, an associate of Kaleas, claimed the city rejected that plan.

Horst said the city wanted commercial development to encourage growth in the area.

After spending another $250,000 on planning, they came back to the city with a new proposal to build a retirement center, Horst continued.

He said that plan also was rejected and now they have come back with the current proposal to divide the property into 16 lots.

"Sixteen lots is not a significant change to the surrounding area," Kaleas' attorney David Mann told the planning commissioners.

Neighboring homeowners, however, are concerned that 16 lots may be too many and want the property divided into nine lots or less.

"Homeowners are not against development," local resident Kathleen Quong-Vermeire said. "We only ask that it adheres to the current zoning."

If Normandy Park approves a rezone, it would not only affect the land currently in question but several lots to the north as well, residents said.

They added that the lot owners to the North do not want their land rezoned.

Cal White, who has lived in the neighborhood for 50 years, has no interest in Kaleas' plans.

"I think it's important to preserve the same neighborhood we've always had," White said.

Kaleas and Horst indicated they have had enough of working with the city and have a lawsuit pending.

Though Horst doesn't regret the purchase because he "loves the location," he feels the city hasn't been knowledgeable enough with the matter despite good intentions.

"I think the [planning commission] meeting went well and we wish the city had better communication with the people [around the lot]," Horst said. "If they did, we would have been out of there years ago when we had our original plan for nine lots."

The planning commission is expected to make a recommendation on the subdivision proposal to the Normandy Park City Council at a meeting in March.

Horst, along with the neighboring residents, walked away from the meeting optimistic.

"I think the planning commission intends to really review all the work that we put together and reflect on the letters that they've got from us," resident Scott Desmond said.

"The meeting went well in many aspects," Horst allowed.

Kaleas declined to comment and directed questions to his attorney.