Neighbors are circulating a petition after a homeowner in the 300-block of Ridgeway Street submitted plans to build a seawall.

"The people who built this home breached the natural dune by bulldozing and building their house and are now proposing to build a seawall there to protect their home from Lake Michigan. If they had built behind the dune they would not need a seawall," said Liz Glendening, who started the petition and lives on Ridgeway Street.

NewsCenter 16 was unable to speak with the homeowner Friday evening, but the plans explain the seawall would go along the beach to protect the home from erosion.

While the beach is considered private property, Michigan law makes the water's edge public so people can walk along the coast. Residents fear during high tide the wall will prevent people from walking between the public beaches at Tiscornia Park and Jean Klock Park.

"Every summer we have literally thousands of people who walk between the two public beaches and it is their legal right to do so. If this wall is built there's a significant possibility it may impede their progress," said Glendening.

The St. Joseph City Commissioners are scheduled to host a public hearing on the matter during its meeting on Monday. Glendening is hoping to convince them to use local ordinances to stop construction.

"It's a passion of mine. Lake Michigan is in my blood and I just think the devastation that seawall will cause and the collateral erosion to the neighboring properties and it will be a permanent structure on this beach and it doesn't need to happen," said Glendening.

So far 85 people have signed the petition.