Palm Bay City Council approved a 2,300-home development in the northwest quadrant of the city during a July 13 meeting. The Palm Vista Everlands West project includes 1,600 single-family homes, 760 multifamily units, 145,000 square feet of commercial space, and over 300 acres of preserved wetlands on more than 1,100 acres near St. John’s Heritage Parkway and Pace Drive. Councilman Mike Hammer praised the conservation efforts but raised concerns about traffic. "You have a lot of conservation area that I love," he said at the meeting. The development is the largest planned neighborhood in the area, which has seen rapid growth since the 2015 opening of St. John’s Heritage Parkway. The two-lane parkway currently handles 10,000 cars daily, with backups stretching more than a mile during rush hours. Hammer said he opposes approving more cars until the parkway is expanded to four lanes. "You can bring this to me when we have a nice four-lane St. John’s Heritage Parkway," he said. "But I am not okay with approving even one more car." The parkway is also a critical evacuation route during hurricanes and tropical storms. Jason Salazar, a soon-to-be Palm Bay resident whose family already lives in the area, said the development reflects the city’s growth. "Beautiful area, up and coming, they are building so many more houses now," he said, considering buying one of the new homes in Everla. The project’s approval comes amid debates over balancing development with infrastructure needs. Developers have emphasized the inclusion of preserved wetlands, but residents and officials are pushing for traffic solutions before construction begins.