MANOA, Hawaii (KHON2) -- Strong testimony was presented at a public hearing over the proposed development of the former Saint Francis School in Manoa. Check out what's going on around the nation on our National News page The site was purchased in April by Avalon Group for $23.5 million with plans to turn it into housing. Officials said a total of 172 homes could be built on the property but community members took to the stage, voicing their concerns for the project. Manoa residents concerned over proposed residences at Saint Francis site The main concerns are traffic and parking. One testifier said traffic is already bad already without the project. "You're looking at 30,000 cars in the morning and in the afternoon coming through," the testifier added. One Pamoa Road resident has expressed concerns that the narrow street already sees enough traffic, especially during rush hour. That traffic impact report was conducted at a time when the normal school year was not in session and it has been well documented that Manoa Valley, University and Makiki area sustains extremely high levesl of traffic due to the large number of private as well as public schools within the region bounded by this community. Senator Carol Fukunaga (D) Manoa, Makiki, Punchbowl According to Avalon Group President and CEO Christine Camp, each single-family home will have a two-car garage and space for two cars in the driveway, which will alleviate spillover in the community. Following Monday's meeting, Camp explained that she understands the concerns of current Manoa residents. Get Hawaii's latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You "We're trying our best. We were looking at much greater density, number of units and we decided that we would reduce it as much as possible," Camp added. "I feel what doing right for the community is to provide the opportunity we can." The developer plans to hold consultation meetings to address other archaeological concerns.