A controversial proposal to increase density in downtown Oldsmar to attract development has been scheduled for a final vote on April 5.

The city wants to increase the density from 30 units per acre to 65. The change would affect a 39-acre district in downtown Oldsmar.

It would also pave the way for a proposed mixed-use apartment complex. Woodfield Development wants to build a five-story apartment building on 4.85 acres with 316 units and retail on the ground floor.

The community appears to be nearly evenly split on the idea. City Manager Felicia Donnelly said she counted people both for and against the density increase at a public meeting. Donnely said there were 37 proponents and 35 opponents.

Resident Melissa Cuomo lives one block from downtown and opposes any density increase because she worries about traffic and noise.

"We're really concerned about the density increase because it's really going to impact the downtown way of life," Cuomo said. "It is so quiet and quaint. We have such a downtown neighborly feel."

The owner of Power Kleen, Jason Sanders, said he doesn't like seeing all the empty lots in Oldsmar and supports the density increase because he wants a walkable downtown.

"It's a wonderful community. We're missing this piece," he said. "Where you can go to a restaurant or a coffee house or sandwich shop and do what you have to do and the residential component will keep people here."​

The development issue was central in the city's recent election. Voters chose to remove a couple of pro-density candidates, including the mayor and replace them with candidates who opposed it. 

The new mayor and city commissioner will have some convincing to do if they want to stop the density increase. A majority of the remaining city commissioners supported it during the initial vote.

Donnelly said if the density proposal becomes law next week, the Woodfield apartment project would still need to go through a lengthy approval process that includes two public votes before it's approved.