TULSA, Okla. — Homeowners in Broken Arrow are signing a petition in hopes of stopping the construction of a new amusement park nearby.
Neighbors near the proposed site of Bells Amusement Park had a closed door meeting tonight to talk about their concerns.
Hundreds of homeowners showed up.
Video was not allowed inside the meeting, but 2 News hear neighbor's concerns.
Homeowners said they wanted to meet with each other before meeting with city leaders.
“We moved here to retire," Johnny Walker, one of the residents present at the meeting said.
Walker lives in Bel Lago Subdivision. He bought his home a year ago and it's just a few hundred feet from the proposed site for the New Bell's Amusement Park.
Walker said he knew the land was zoned commercial, but didn't expect an amusement park.
“If I would have wanted to live by Las Vegas with an amusement park with the Neon lights I would have chose that, and I would have liked the opportunity to choose,” he said.
Walker was one of hundreds of homeowners at the Neinhouse community center voicing their concerns.
Neighbors representing Green Acres, Timberbrook, Villas of Bel Lago and Bel Lago subdivisions are worried the amusement park will decrease their property value, increase crime and cause pollution, and traffic.
"We're not against amusement parks, and we're not against growth, we just want the right type of growth, you know, we want the economy to boom and one of our biggest concerns is it will all change," Walker said.
The group plans to present their petition to city council during their meeting on January 18th.
The city manager, Michael Spurgeon, said the city is being proactive researching consulting firms who have experience developing amusement parks. He said they are also researching the economic impact, infrastructure needs, and public safety concerns.
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