ADAMS TWP — After reaching an agreement with a group opposed to the plan and making changes to the development, officials with the Hickory Glen planned residential development were given tentative approval Monday.

Hickory Glen has been the center of debate for more than a year, with the plan proposed at the end of Pearce Road in a rural conservation zoning district. Residents said it would have a negative impact on land and traffic in the area, and disagreed with it being built in the RC zone. A yearlong legal battle ensued, with a Butler County judge ordering it back to the Adams Township supervisors for further consideration.

During a public hearing on the matter Monday before the supervisors, Brenda Sebring, attorney for developer Weaver Master Builders, said an agreement had been reached with Rob Crouthamel and the Saving Rural Adams group. Under that agreement, the numbers of residential homes would be reduced from 42 to 40. Additionally, she said the agreement included an increase to the rear yard buffer zone, as well the reduction of a steep slope disturbance. Additionally, deeds in the development would include a notice that the area surrounding the plan is an agriculture security area, which carries limitations and requirements to help protect the environment.

Read more about this proposed development in the Eagle.