CAIRO, Ga. — City council members denied a request to rezone the vacant northwest corner of 2nd Street NW and 6th Avenue NW to make room for multifamily apartment units at a public hearing Monday.

Jeremiah Horne of Ethan Jackson Investments said the units would be four one-bedroom apartments of approximately 480 square feet featuring a bedroom, separate living room, a walk-in closet and laundry room.

According to Horne, the buildings would be designed to appear as single-family residences from every angle, complete with private yards and entrances and would not be an unsightly apartment complex.

Horne said the units would provide a more spacious and higher quality living option for single and elderly individuals who are generally “a little bit more affluent.”

“They’re not exactly cash-strapped,” Horne said of potential renters. “There’s just nothing in Cairo at the moment that meets their needs.”

Numerous residents spoke in opposition to the proposal at the public hearing, which was set during the city council’s regularly scheduled meeting.

“I’m not here to bash that man,” resident Christopher Johnson said of Horne. “He’s a businessman. He’s an entrepreneur. That’s what he does. But I am here to bash the project on my street.”

In Johnson’s view, and the opinion of several other residents who spoke in opposition to the proposal, the apartment units could upset the balance of property values in the area, with no guarantee that Horne would not simply sell the units at a later date to a less reasonable developer.

“Me and my wife don’t have a whole lot of money,” Johnson said. “We can’t really afford to lose on our property with an apartment complex coming into our neighborhood.”

Horne said the concerns that residents could not control who their neighbors would be, that a change of ownership may later occur and that the buildings may not appear new in a decade were all valid, but added that it did not represent a unique circumstance.

“All three of those concerns are applicable to anything built on that property,” Horne said. “Nobody in this room has a right to pick their neighbors. When our neighbors’ house goes up for sale, all we can do is hope.”

According to Horne, the apartments would serve as an “anchor” for nearby property values by providing an incentive for investment in the surrounding neighborhood.

Horne added that he chose the corner of 2nd Street NW and 6th Avenue NW for his proposal due to its overall quality, proximity to shops on Broad Street, easy access and its status as a “fault line” for property values.

Council member Lannis Thornton, whose district encompasses the area in question, motioned to deny Horne’s request. The motion was seconded by council member Bobby Gwaltney.

“Jeremiah, I like what you’re doing and I think there’s a need for it, but I just don’t think in this neighborhood,” Thornton said.

Council member Jimmy Douglas abstained from the vote to avoid a conflict of interest. Council member DeMario Byrden was not present at the meeting.

The rezoning proposal was previously discussed at a Feb. 21 public hearing of the Cairo Planning Commission, where Horne’s request was denied on a 3-1 vote. Planning commission vice chairman James Gerth provided the only vote in favor of the rezoning request.

“At the previous meeting it was very difficult for any of us to ignore the passion of the crowd,” Horne said at the public hearing Monday. “I did not do a great job myself of presenting to the panel fully my idea, specifically highlighting those areas where my proposal is superior to the next logical alternatives.”

Horne’s appearance at the city council’s public hearing was in part a request to overturn the recommendation made by the planning commission last month.

City council chambers were filled to capacity Monday evening, with some spectators forced to stand to view the public hearing due to a lack of available seating.

“From what I hear, you guys are very passionate about your neighborhood,” Mayor Booker Gainor told the audience at the conclusion of the hearing but before the vote. “I wouldn’t want to cause this neighborhood any trouble because you all seem like you stick together.”