Celebrity News:

Hundreds of residents at Kingswood Condominiums won't be looking at a large condo development sprouting up next door.

The City Commission voted 4-1 Monday night against a plan for Celebrity Residences, a 144-unit condo project with some retail space and a restaurant, although the developer may come back with a smaller project.

The developer modified plans several times since buying the property in 2003 because of concerns by and Kingswood residents and city officials.

Among the changes: four-story buildings changed to three stories; 34,000 square feet of retail space was reduced to 3,700 square feet; the entry was widened from two to four lanes; drainage was redesigned to include retention ponds; and there was an addition of a fitness center, volleyball court, playground and walking paths.

About 50 Kingsford residents listened as David Sacks, attorney for the developer, told the commission he was "ready, willing, and able" to work with a couple of outstanding issues, including an agreement over a lift station that serves Kingswood but is on Celebrity's property.

Kingswood residents said their new neighbor had too many units, would bring too much traffic and would be unsightly for them.

Commissioner Michael Mortell, who cast the lone vote, said he didn't want the project to be denied since the developer wouldn't be able to reapply with such a project for two years.

Sacks said after the vote that it was still within Celebrity's right to develop the site with "straight zoning," allowing about 103 condossince what the commission rejected was a plan for 144 units that gave extras in exchange for the right to build more units.