RIDGEDALE, Mo. – Traffic problems caused a mess last year when garth brooks performed several concerts at thunder ridge nature arena in Taney County.

A sales tax increase at big cedar properties is helping the venue address those issues by widening Highway 86 and making other changes. But now, it’s neighbors who are upset.

“Two days ago, we received a call from a realtor saying he represented Mr. Morris and he wanted to buy our house,” Brenda Chodrick said. She lives about half a mile from Thunder Ridge Nature Arena. “He said Mr. Morris does not like homes around his projects. He said, quite honestly, it’s just for the land that he wants. So the home would be bulldozed.”

Chodrick bought her home off Oakview Drive four years ago and planned for it to be a retirement home. Around May 15, she noticed construction across from her home.

“The residential lots directly across the street from us were being bulldozed, just decimated,” Chodrick said.

Taney County Planning and Zoning Commission said the plot of land across from Chodrick’s is owned by an entity affiliated with Johnny Morris. Right now, the commission said all they can do is clear the land. If they want to build on it, they would need to get additional permits.

“We’re watching every day for notices of any kind of a zoning change, and we haven’t seen it,” Chodrick said. “The unknown is very fearful for us and [with] the small amount of trees that are left we hope with everything we’ve got that they’re done.”

One confirmed project is the expansion of Highway 86, the road leading concertgoers to Thunder Ridge Nature Arena.

“We’ve seen a lot of trees cut down along this side of the road and more that appear to still be marked for cutting to make that a four-lane [road],” Chodrick said.

The highway is only two lanes, causing stand-still traffic for hours leaving people unable to attend the concert which made the need for a bigger highway more pressing.

“There’s a lot of parking lots down 86 with this new amphitheater,” Keith Tucker said. He also lives on Oakview Drive. “Nobody’s telling us anything about really what that is.”

Tucker and Chodrick said they both want answers as to what changes are happening in their neighborhood.

“I spent 15 years fixing this house up and just retired down here,” Tucker said. “[There’s] a lot of nature around here and it’s just peaceful. I just want to know what’s going on.”