PINEHURST, N.C. — Despite opposition from residents, leaders in Pinehurst voted 3-2 Tuesday to approve a shopping center.

Midland Green, a proposed $20 million shopping center in Pinehurst, will be built on Midland Road, the oldest double-lane road in the state. Developers say the proposed shopping center would include offices, restaurants and stores.

Some residents are worried what the shopping center will do to the quality of Pinehurst.

"It's not just the shopping center. It's what it does to the neighborhood and the area," said Linda Williams, who opposes the project. "The traffic, the trucks -- it's a shopping center we do not need."

"I'm not surprised that our village council did that. I'm just very saddened. I thought they would stand up and be counted for and do the right thing, but they failed us," resident Jeanne Casinella said.

Developer Tom Cluderay said the shopping center will be beneficial to Pinehurst and its future.

"We think what we can do, what we will do, will be a net benefit to Pinehurst, not a liability," he said.

The mayor of Pinehurst, who voted in favor of the project, said it was a difficult issue, but the council acted in the best interest of the village. The developer hopes to break ground within a year, but residents still plan to fight. They said they have already contacted an attorney to look into the issue.