SAPELO ISLAND, Ga. (WSAV) — Descendants of slaves who live in the Hogg Hummock community on Sapelo Island plan to continue their fight against over-development that they say will push them out of their own community.

It comes after residents lost their battle against a rezoning measure that will allow larger buildings and homes to be built on the island.

Earlier this week, supporters gathered at the McIntosh County courthouse to oppose the zoning changes they say favor wealthy buyers.

“We have to come together. There’s an old African proverb that’s become kind of cliche now. ‘it takes a village’. Well, over the last few days, it was a village.”

They say it will increase their property taxes which would ultimately force families out of homes that they have lived in for generations.

While the morality of this is questionable, so is the legality, according to Hog Hammock residents.

“We look at urban housing and development, we know some laws are being broken. Laws that will continue to be broken in the future.”

Residents say this will ultimately lead to the island becoming a real estate hotbed. Despite the recent vote, they say this process has already started.

Family-owned homes that were worth under $200,000 a decade ago are now worth millions of dollars since being acquired by developers.

Residents of Hogg Hummock are organizing a march from Sapelo Island to the McIntosh courthouse to express their displeasure over this new ordinance.