Killarney was getting like New York, Cllr Pat F. O'Connor (FF) told Tuesday night's meeting of the town council.
A move by developers to rezone residential land on the outskirts of Killarney to allow for an unspecified mix of commercial and residential development met strong opposition from some town councillors.
The planning department has warned that the rezoning would affect the town centre, traffic and building heights. However, it had no objection to the rezoning, subject to conditions set down at the planning stage.
The objective in rezoning was to take advantage of the strategic location of the gateway site, Ms Fiona Galvin, a planner, explained.
It would allow for a wide mix of dwellings, community facilities, financial services and perhaps a pub, cinema or theatre.
"We are going up, up up," Mr O'Connor said.
The skyline of St Mary's Cathedral, designed by Pugin, was already being matched by high-rise hotels.
The plans being floated for this new rezoning on the northern outskirts at Arnamweely/Cleeny were for more "futuristic" developments that would be totally out of character with the town's architecture, he said.
He was in no doubt it was going to be a rival town centre, blocking the view of the mountains and eventually dictating the height of buildings for the rest of the town.
Ms Sheila Dickson (FF), a nurse at St Columbanus home for the elderly, said the development had "major potential to disrupt the lives of the 100 residents" in the home.
She was strongly opposed to it. Every councillor had reservations, as had the planners, therefore they should be given the specific plans by the developer before granting the rezoning, Ms Dickson argued.
On a motion from Cllr Seán O'Grady (Lab), the matter was deferred for a month to see if height restrictions can be placed on buildings proposed for the site.