JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. -- For eight years, 284.4 acres in Jefferson County have sat empty, but not completely vacant. Nearby residents said when Colorado Christian University closed its Western Bible College campus, its buildings became nuisances and home to criminal mischief.

"The highest and best use of the property was for high-quality residential development," said University President Sen. Bill Armstrong during a public hearing Thursday night.

The university wants to rezone the property so Shea Homes can build 280 houses on the land in a project called Lyons Ridge Development.

"Of course, we would prefer nothing and we were lucky to have nothing for long time," said Willow Springs resident Mimi Murphy. "But I don't think we can make that decision because it is not our property. So we want the best that we can get to keep it the same that it has been."

Murphy is not alone. Residents from Hogback Conservancy, Willowbrook Home Owners Association, Willow Springs HOA, and residents from other nearby neighborhoods packed three rooms Thursday night at the Jefferson County Courts and Administration building to voice their opposition to a development project they say goes against the south Jefferson County community plan decided upon March 14, 2007.

"If you are going to ask the citizens to come up with a plan as to how the community is developed and then you are going to ignore it, that is like asking someone to bake a cake and then turning it around and smashing it in their face," said Jefferson County resident Jason Bane.

But some residents acknowledge development is inevitable and some homeowners think this project is the best option.

"It is less dense than the Willow Springs development," said Kevin Stafford whose parents live adjacent to the property in question.

"And also there is some open space that would be public where the other two developments' open space is private," he said, referring to neighboring developments.

So many people showed up to speak Thursday night that County Commissioners continued the public hearing to April 15 at 6 p.m.