DALTON GARDENS - A new building under construction for Forest Steel has a few residential neighbors worried about their property values and complaining of lack of communication from City Hall.

The building is 43 feet high, and will have nearly 35,000 square feet of floor space when complete. It abuts Bill and Laurie Robb's property, at 7367 Rude St., where they have lived for 26 years.

"It's like I'm parked up against the Titanic," Bill Robb said.

Forest Steel is within its right to build the structure, which could have reached more than 50 feet tall. The Robbs don't dispute that point.

They're miffed at Dalton Gardens city officials for not notifying residents along

Rude Street of the project months ago.

"No one had a clue that this was going to happen," said Sue Erickson, who resides across Rude Street from the Robbs. "I can't tell you how unimpressed I am" with the city's handling of the project.

"I personally think I'll take a financial hit," Erickson said. "Neighbors are paying the price."

They're all worried about future odors, noises and vibrations emanating from the building. They were told by Forest Steel that cranes would be operating inside and tractor-trailer rigs backing up to the building.

For a long time the row of arborvitae trees in the Robbs' backyard screened them off to what was happening in the commercial zone that their home borders.

"It's so far outside the scope of what's already there," Laurie Robb said.

Being in a commercial zone shouldn't give property owners the right to do whatever they want, she said.

Mayor Dan Franklin said, "I'm very sympathetic to those folks that live there. I have driven up that street numerous times."

Franklin said the city can't be selective in notifying the public on certain building projects, regardless of scale, because such a practice would be too subjective and add cost. Notices are posted on the city's website and published in newspapers, he said.

City planner Cheri Howell said current regulations for Dalton Gardens don't include height and bulk restrictions.

"The city is limited in how far it can go when somebody applies" for a building permit, she said.

The city adopted a comprehensive plan in late 2009. Franklin said he was frustrated by the public's lack of interest in the plan's development.

The city's planning and zoning commission now is working on drafts of ordinances that will comply with the plan. It's also looking at rezoning property within the city's commercial zone, which stretches between Dalton Avenue and Prairie Avenue.

Forest Steel's property could in the future be designated light industrial or manufacturing, Howell said.

Bill Robb told the commission during its meeting Tuesday night that the draft light industrial ordinance, as currently written, would allow another Forest Steel-scale building to go up next to any of the residential lots between Wilbur Avenue and Prairie Avenue.

Grant Forest, owner of Forest Steel, said the company will use the new building to store materials. The company, which operates on eight acres at 7448 Aqua Circle, stocks raw product and processes it for several different industries.

Forest said two large buildings were torn out prior to construction beginning on the new one.

"It's quite a bit taller," Forest said. "But it'll look nicer," with green and gray colors.

"We wish they weren't upset," Forest said of neighboring residents. "I wish I would have gone over there and told them about it. Hopefully it will work out."

He said the company planned for the building to actually shield residences from noise. He said it has long had positive relations with its residential neighbors.