Ron Ross had himself convinced that the tide of favor for the proposed Gloucester Crossing shopping mall in Gloucester had risen.

But the Atlantic Road resident's prediction of a 60-40 ratio of residents for and against Boston developer Sam Park's proposed commercial-residential complex was blown out of the water by an informal showing of hands at a Ward 1 community meeting Tuesday night in the Fuller Elementary School cafeteria. Of nearly 50 East Gloucester residents, only Ross and two others raised their hands in favor of the project.

Park wants to build a 180,000-square-foot development featuring major retail stores, a hotel, an assisted-living center, restaurants and a bank on 33 acres adjacent to Fuller School that he acquired in December for $3.2 million.

Approval of the project by Gloucester and Rockport residents hinges mostly on one condition deeply desired by the developer: a controversial traffic light on the Route 128 extension that would allow Gloucester Crossing shoppers to turn left out of the mall onto Route 128 and head west toward Blackburn Circle. The traffic light would need the approval of the City Council and the Massachusetts Highway Department.

Residents did not come to the ward meeting to let Park convince them the light will be a good thing. They came to convince Park that they believe the light will only serve to further congest Route 128 traffic.

Despite Park's attempts to head off opposition to the traffic light with cleverly rendered, three-dimensional computer models depicting the traffic flow, voices of contempt echoed through the cafeteria at one point.

The problem?

Apparently the number of vehicles depicted in Park's traffic models didn't match up with what Ward 1 residents observe on a day-to-day basis.

"Is that December?" one woman asked of the number of blue, white and red cars she saw moving in the video model. "It's certainly not in August," when beach traffic clogs the highway, she said.

But Park, a traffic engineer himself, said the numbers of vehicles in his models correspond to the numbers counted on Route 128 at various times of the year by Traffic Solutions LLC of Boston, from low-volume, off-season hours, to Sunday afternoons in the summer.

"It's smoke and mirrors," said Henry Ferrini, of Wall Street in East Gloucester, referring to the traffic model.

A few residents wanted to know why the traffic light is even needed, since an access road to Fuller School will connect directly to the complex.

According to Park, the option of the Fuller School access road as an entrance and exit for the complex was one of two considerations, the other being the traffic light. But Park reasoned that a high volume of traffic flowing only feet from the school's ball fields could pose a danger to the safety of schoolchildren.

"We remain convinced that the most safe and efficient means of exiting the shopping center is with a left turn out (onto Route 128) with a signal," said Michele Harrison, a lawyer representing Park.

"If I could guarantee that traffic wouldn't back up, would everyone here approve (the light)?" asked Park.

"No!" was the resounding answer from the residents.

For just a few minutes during the three-hour meeting, traffic wasn't the only concern for some of the people in attendance.

Jon Hardy, owner of Alexandra's Bread on Main Street, said local, independent retailers are concerned about the impact Gloucester Crossing might have on downtown businesses.

"If you want to buy dog food, or shoes or sporting goods, you can find it on Main Street. There can be a deep, lasting impact to our Main Street stores (if Gloucester Crossing is built)," Hardy said.

"We actually want downtown to succeed," Park countered, "because it will increase the inherent value (of the area) ... and it will help us."

Ellen Solomon, of Haskell Street in East Gloucester, wanted to know if people on Cape Ann will really shift their shopping patterns and refrain from heading to the shopping malls in Danvers and Peabody.

Harrison said older and retired residents are likely to find the convenience of shopping locally appealing while others, pressed for time, will enjoy the close proximity Gloucester Crossing.

But the most important aspect of Gloucester Crossing, Harrison said, will be its "spill" effect. She said the products shoppers won't find at the complex will almost certainly be found in downtown Gloucester. Shoppers will be able to head there after shopping at the mall, thus keeping money within the area.