Greg Jones wants a place he can play Ultimate Frisbee, where practices and pick-up games don't take second billing to soccer teams and family get-togethers, said the rising senior at Hillside New Tech High School.

Mary and Clyde Pope want their Riley Drive community, north of the city in central Durham County, to maintain its quiet, rural feel. The couple, who essentially established Riley Drive when they built their home east of Old Oxford Highway off Hamlin Road in 1955, said they don't want life to change on the lush street bordered by four homes, a horse pasture, gardens surrounded by deer fences, and a wooded lot.

Triangle Flying Disc Association wants to develop that wooded lot into a nearly 23-acre home base for Ultimate Frisbee players, with six fields and a 2,000 square-foot pavilion. The facility would host practices, games, camps, tournaments, and other events. The "Ultiplex" would be one of the first in the region, if not the nation, said Christian Schwoerke, president of the association.

"The dream of a dedicated Ultiplex has long inspired the TFDA community, representing our independence from whimsical (parks and recreation) departments and our arrival as a mature sport," the association's website states.

Residents near the property said they prefer single-family homes to the recreational field. The Popes and others worry that traffic, noise, lights and parking problems will follow as the sport's popularity increases.

"It's in our neighborhood, but it's not for our neighborhood," Mary Pope said.

The Durham County Board of Commissioners will hold public hearings Aug. 8 on the zoning change and site plan. The current zoning allows up to two houses per acre. A rezoning would allow the construction of the fields, pavilion, and 185 parking spaces.

Neighbors have submitted a protest petition, which means four out of five elected officials would have to vote in favor of the development for it to pass.

Representatives of the Triangle Flying Disc Association said their practices and games are relativity low profile. The facility won't have seating for spectators, who generally don't come to the games, or a public address system, Schwoerke said.

The venue's largest tournament would host up to 16 teams. Assuming each team has 10 players, that would mean a total of 160 players would use the field over the weekend. Ultimate players often carpool to out-of-town tournaments, Schwoerke said, and would come and go for games that start at 10 a.m. noon, 2 p.m. or 4 p.m.

The planning commission voted 6-6 on the project last month, which translates into a negative recommendation to county commissioners.

Residents and planning commissioners who opposed the project, say the association is selling itself short. Ultimate is a growing sport, and with the ultiplex, its foothold in the Triangle will increase, they said.

"We wholeheartedly agree this is a wonderful concept, but not at this location. Not in the heart of an existing neighborhood," said Jeff Danford, who lives near the property. "Not at the expense of irreparably damaging the way of life the rest of us have come to cherish."

Supporters said the project would benefit the local economy and provide local youth with a healthy after-school activity.

The Triangle Flying Disc Association includes about 500 dues-paying member, and close to 1,000 individuals who play. About 500 are in Durham, but many live across the Triangle, Schwoerke said.

The self-refereed games, which allows seven players per team on the field, resembles multiple sports, including basketball and football. Teams score by delivering the Frisbee in their end zone. They pass the Frisbee, but can't travel with it once they catch it.

Jones, the Hillside Tech senior, has been playing ultimate for nearly two years.

"It reminds me of football except without the contact, and it is really easy to learn," he said. One of the larger challenges, he said, is finding a place to play. Sometimes they play on the Durham School of the Arts' soccer field, but if the soccer team kicks them off, they hop across town until they find a place or just reschedule.

"There are a lot of people that play Frisbee," he said. "It is crazy with all we have to go through."