PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — It was a late night for the Oldmsar city commission.

But in the end, they did come to a decision on an issue that had residents largely divided.

It started off as a plan for a large apartment complex. But the vote came down to just how many apartment homes, a decision over increasing land density.

In downtown Oldsmar, there’s a feeling of a quaint and quiet downtown area. That's why last night’s vote was so close.

In the end, the council voted to approve a density increase, paving the way for a new apartment complex.

After hours of public comment and debate, the council voted 3-2 to approve a density increase in downtown Oldsmar, more than doubling the number of units per acre.

At issue is a big apartment complex with more than 300 units proposed for right behind city hall.

Oldsmar Mayor Dan Saracki said even though the council approved this density increase, that doesn't mean the apartment complex is a slam dunk.

“No one said they wanted 317 apartments built on this property right behind me,” Saracki said. “This is the taxpayers’ property. Today’s vote is about our density increase. Right now we’re currently at 30 units per acre, they want to change it to 65 units per acre.”

Public debate is expected to continue.