Fuming Residents Vent At Hempstead Town Council Meeting About Woodmere Club Development

WOODMERE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Emotions were running high at a meeting involving a controversial project impacting Long Island's Five Towns that involves plans to possibly build hundreds of homes on a recently sold golf course.

Amid signs of protest, Hempstead Town council members were shouted down by passionate homeowners from the Five Towns Monday night.

"We have yet to see it and we come here tonight and you were going to vote on it tomorrow," one resident said.

"You put it on for a hearing before you saw the report," said another.

Emotions were raw in the hamlet of Woodmere and surrounding villages. The century-old Woodmere Club on 110 pristine acres was sold to a developer and residents claim a vote to change zoning, allowing nearly 300 homes to be built, was about to become a secret deal, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported.

The town paid for an engineering and environmental study that was just made public.

"The loss of property values that everyone one of us will incur," said one resident.

"We could still have a park, we could still have a golf club," said another.

Demanding transparency and accountability from their elected officials, who they say are listening.

"We cannot go forward with the public hearing," said Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen. "I haven't even seen the report, the community has not seen the report."

"We are going to withhold our vote to get more input from the community," said Hempstead Town Council member Bruce Blakeman.

"There will be no vote tomorrow on rezoning on any golf courses in the Town of Hempstead," said Hempstead Town Council member Anthony D'esposito.

Council members say they want to give the community time to review the study. It's going up on the town website and a public hearing will be held before the zoning vote takes place.