From the second floor balcony of his townhouse, Michael Lambert can see it all.

But his prime view of downtown could soon be blocked by a soccer stadium.

If Houston’s mayor gets his way, the Dynamo will play in a new stadium in two years just a block away from Lambert’s home. 

But that development would kick away Lambert’s dream of a vibrant new neighborhood on the east side.

“It doesn’t bring anything. It doesn’t bring anything to this neighborhood. It doesn’t bring anything to the residents except the downsides,” Lambert said.

What’s worse, he says, is that city leaders haven’t even asked his opinion.

“I think they’ve gone forward under a cloak of secrecy,” he said.

At least two members of the city council have similar concerns.

James Rodriguez, who represents Lambert’s area, and Anne Clutterbuck, a soccer fan, say they’d at least like to have a public hearing before spending $16 million on a possible stadium site.

But Mayor Bill White says it’s too early for public input.

“I think it’s fair if there’s a particular plan or proposal, which there’s not right now, to talk to the neighbors and the people who live right along there,” White said.

If the city buys that property, there’s still no guarantee that a Dynamo stadium would go there. The mayor says the city and the team are still in negotiations about how to pay for a stadium.

The city council could vote on buying the land in about two weeks.