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After more than a decade of having several of the town's homes split by contradicting zoning, Copeland residents could finally be able to have one designation.

And maybe even new neighbors down the road.

On Tuesday, the Collier County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to vote on a rezoning request to change 96 acres currently zoned conservation zoning district into a village residential district.

The change would affect 29 lots in Copeland — 13 lots with split zoning, those that have both designation on one property, and 16 lots that are completely in the conservation district, which the property owners asked to be rezoned as well.

"Everybody is hoping that it's going to pass," said Donnie McDowell, president of the Copeland Civic Association. "It's needed."

But in addition to straightening out the conflicting zoning issues, Copeland's proposed rezoning would also allow up to four homes per acre.

A mistake in a Collier zoning map from the early 1990s sliced the 13 Copeland properties into conservation and residential properties, county officials said. When residents tried to pull permits to build on their own land, Collier officials rejected them because of the conservation designation.

But the problem came to the forefront after the busy 2005 hurricane season, when residents whose properties were split couldn't pull permits to repair their homes.

It was especially troublesome for those who had mobile homes, a prohibited use under the conservation zoning district, said William D. Mesce, who spoke during a Planning Commission hearing on the issue.

"They (county officials) said 'Oh you're not even supposed to be there (if you have a mobile home),'" Mesce said. "Since when?"

County Commissioner Jim Coletta, agreed and said the "mistake" was an attempt by some well-meaning people to preserve the area, but that instead it had inhibited Copeland from growing or possibly existing in the future.

"Regrettably nothing is instantaneous in government," Coletta said.

In addition to a neighborhood information meeting county staff hosted last June in Copeland, the rezoning request already made the rounds with the county's Environmental Advisory Council, or EAC, in January and with the Collier County Planning Commission in early February.

The EAC approved the rezoning in a 4-2 vote, but because it wasn't a majority decision, the group did not forward any recommendations to either the Planning Commission or County Commission.

The Planning Commission voted to approve the rezoning 7-0, but not without some concerns over the new density and possible impacts to Copeland's small town character.

"I just want to make sure that the Copeland community knows what they are getting themselves into," said Planning Commission chairman Mark P. Strain.

The sentiment was shared by fellow Planning Commission member Bob Murray.

"I was surprised by four units per acre, but I don't look at in a negative fashion," said Murray. "I look at it and question whether or not the people who are living there wish to retain what it is they are accustomed to, or are they of the mind that they want to increase the numbers among them. The question is whether or not they really want to see true development."

McDowell said that more people in town would actually be positive for Copeland, bringing in some much needed revenue and maybe even allowing families to build homes near each other.

Which is the issue in Mesce's case.

"Right now I have five acres and I would like for my son to build a house next to me," said Mesce, pointing out that four houses per acre would not greatly increase the town's density. "It's (the rezoning) going to give people a chance to do something with their property as well."