GERMAN VILLAGE, Ohio (WCMH) — A group plans to dress up as whales and walk through German Village Saturday to protest a proposed development.

Residents have formed Neighborhoods for Responsible Development and hired an attorney to oppose the Pizzuti Companies’ current designs for developing the former Giant Eagle site on Schumacher Place, at 280 East Whittier.

The group chose the symbol of the whale because they feel the proposed development of apartments and businesses will not fit into the neighborhood, like a whale into a pond.

“When I spoke at the zoning commission, at the very end, I said, ‘This project does not fit. It’s like putting a large whale in a small pond.’ Several people told me they liked that visual. Our new yard signs have the whale in the pond,” said association member Regina Tobin.

The group has hired a lawyer.

“The developer has an attorney looking out for the developer’s interest,” said Tobin. “One thing the developer’s attorney told us many months ago was that the only thing that we could do was hire an attorney.”

The lawyer will make sure procedures in the past and future have been followed correctly.

Forming the association was a forward-thinking move, says Tobin.

“This is just one of many times that we’re going to need this group,” she said. “We really needed it to be able to serve us for this project and for future projects.”

The next whale walk will take place Saturday. Protesters carrying signs and banging drums plan to walk through German Village, Merion Village, and Schumacher Place.

NBC asked The Pizzuti Companies for a comment, but they didn’t respond.