No one needs to tell Gary Pond that the retail development planned for Whole Foods and CVS hasn't been stalled by the bad economy.

"I've been getting big branches falling in my yard every time they explode," Pond said tonight of Summit Development's recent blasting of a tree-topped rocky cliff that separates the Kings Highway development site from Vermont Avenue homeowners. "There's a couple of branches in the back...I just keep throwing them over the fence."

Pond said his house shook like he was in a "one-second earthquake" after the blasts and that no one did a pre-blast survey on his house or removed two dead trees near his property that he worries could fall onto his house. Pond said the dead trees are on Summit Development's property but hang over his property.

But Steve Berecz and Brian O'Leary, who also live on Vermont Avenue, said pre-blast surveys had been done on their homes, and Berecz said he thinks the blasting, which has been going on once a day for several months, is nearing an end or finished. Berecz said the last blast heard by his wife was from 10 days to two weeks ago.

The blasting is being done to remove most of a tree-topped rocky cliff at the eastern side of Summit Development's 11-acre property at 1770 Kings Highway. Summit initially wanted to blast away nearly all of the cliff, but a compromise was reached between the developer and Vermont Avenue homeowners that called for a larger buffer to be left in place.

Deborah Waldhaus, who lives on Vermont Avenue, said she wishes the buffer of trees was larger than it is. "Now it seems naked. They had taken down the trees and a lot of the ledge is gone," she said. "To me, I think they should have left a lot more buffer...I think it's too thin, but I hope it's what they agreed to."

"Once Whole Foods is actually built, the neighbors may start to notice, once the businesses are up and running, how much that buffer meant."

The retail development, called Kings Crossing, will include three buildings totaling 86,160 square feet, next to The Home Depot.

Whole Foods has a 25-year lease for all 50,000 square feet in one of the proposed buildings, and CVS has a 25-year lease for all 12,960 square feet in another proposed building. Summit is seeking tenants for the third proposed building, which would have 23,000 square feet of space, most likely leased as a multi-tenant retail strip center.

Mark Barnhart, director of the town's Office of Community & Economic Development, said the construction project has been moving forward for the last couple of months.

"We're certainly pleased to see construction moving forward, and we're anxious to see the development completed," Barnhart said this afternoon. "It's very much an area that's emerging. Given the proximity to the new train station being constructed, we're likely to see further investment in the future."

Barnhart said he expected foundations for the three buildings to be in place this summer and that the buildings could be ready for occupancy about a year after that. "I'm not expecting Whole Foods to be open for business 'til the middle or end of next year," he said.

Pond said he wasn't really bothered by all the construction activity behind his house because it amounted to what he expected. But he added that he hopes Whole Foods doesn't make a lot of noise at night. Pond said he has to listen to tow motors being operated by The Home Depot at night and can only fall asleep with his windows closed and the television on.

Waldhaus said The Home Depot was noisy at all hours of the night, moving merchandise around and accepting deliveries, but she hoped Whole Foods would be a quieter neighbor in the evening.

Waldhaus said traffic in her neighborhood was due to increase significantly in the future from the Kings Crossing development, The Edge's upcoming move from Commerce Drive to the old Linens 'N Things building on Kings Highway and the train station now under construction on lower Black Rock Turnpike. "It used to be a neighborhood where the kids could ride bikes...It used to be on the quieter side as far as car traffic was concerned," she said.