A controversial request to put residential facilities near Baldwin for people with developmental disabilities will go before the Douglas County Commission tonight .

Community Living Opportunities wants a conditional use permit that will allow it to put four homes at 2084 N. 600 Road, about six miles northeast of Baldwin. CLO has named the project Midnight Farm.

Several area residents spoke in opposition to the request when the project was discussed this summer by the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission.

The Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the permit and sent it to county commissioners for consideration. Last month, more than a dozen area residents submitted a petition to the county opposing the project.

Residents’ concerns about the project include increased traffic that will require more maintenance on local roads, a strain on the local water and power systems, and potential effects on the rural atmosphere.

CLO initially requested a permit to place eight homes at the 40-acre site but has scaled that back to four.

An existing house at the site would remain, and a mobile home would be replaced by one of the three new houses. Each home will include one or two CLO staff members, up to two of their children and one or two adult clients with developmental disabilities.

If approved, the permit will be reviewed by the county in five years and will expire after 10 years.

The County Commission meeting begins at 6:35 p.m. at the county courthouse, 11th and Massachusetts streets.