ADAMS TWP — Although nine planned residential developments (PRDs) have been approved here in the past several years, a Weaver Master Builders plan was held up on Monday night because of residents’ concerns.

Chad Weaver brought the plans before the planning commission for Hickory Glen, a prospective development off Pearce Road on the 60-acre Simmons farm that would place 50 single-family homes on half-acre lots.

About 50 residents attended the planning commission meeting, including Rob and Tammy Crouthamel. The Crouthamels, whose small farm would contain a “paper road” into Hickory Glen if it were approved as presented, started a community group recently called Saving Rural Adams. A paper road is an access to a plan included in the drawings that would not be used immediately.

Saving Rural Adams met for the first time on Dec. 1 to discuss the proliferation of planned residential developments that have been approved in the last few years, their disagreement with placing half-acre lots in the developments, and the movement into the township’s rural-conservation zone of the PRDs.

Matt Schmidt, a project engineer with Hampton Technical Associates, presented Hickory Glen to the planning commission in the hopes of the commission recommending to the supervisors that it be approved.

Planning commission member Tom Franceschina asked Schmidt how many homes could be placed on the land if the lots were expanded to an acre. He said if all lots were an acre, there would be no requirement for open space.

Weaver, of Weaver Master Builders, replied that his company has not looked at the plan with 1-acre lots and that he was submitting the plan to the commission as presented.

Commission chairman Martin McKinney questioned the developer’s request to reduce the side yard setbacks from 20 feet to 10 feet, so that houses would be 20 feet apart.

Gary Peaco, the township’s code enforcement officer, said he is “vehemently opposed” to houses being just 20 feet apart.

“With the side yard (setback), I see a real problem,” Peaco said.

Weaver said he would compromise on the side setbacks and place the homes 30 feet apart, but he prefers to keep the half-acre lots.

“Every lot you take away is lost income,” Weaver said.

Patrick Auth, an environmental lawyer representing the Saving Rural Adams group, complained to the commission about the “paper road” in the Hickory Glen drawings that leads onto the Crouthamel farm.

He also said adding the traffic on Pearce and Three Degree roads from 50 homes in addition to the 20 already existing would exceed the road’s capabilities.

Peaco suggested that the paper road be placed on the development’s southern border, where there are large parcels of vacant land that are more likely to be subdivided or developed, instead of to the north onto the Crouthamel’s property or that of another neighbor.

“I think we need to prove that this can’t be done first,” Peaco said.

Weaver said he would be willing to look at the idea, but Matt Simmons, whose mother owns the farm, said his mother spent decades preparing the property for development and deserves to earn money from the development as presented.

“This has been an extremely stressful process for her,” Simmons said.

Before Weaver agreed to sit down with the Crouthamels and other neighbors of Hickory Glen as requested by Franceschina, resident Clay Morrow told the commission it is not complying with the township zoning ordinance when considering planned residential developments.

He said the commission, when looking at a PRD, is charged with considering things like the traffic impact, benefit to the public and open space allotted in a plan.

“I’m not here to oppose Hickory Glen,” Morrow said. “I’m here because we need to slow down on the PRDs.”

The planning commission voted to table the Hickory Glen PRD.

“Everyone has to work together,” McKinney said.