MIDDLESEX TWP — Township supervisors on Wednesday spoke out against a proposed zoning change and housing development plan.

During the supervisors’ regular meeting, Steven Victor of Victor Wetzel Associates, representing Leslie Road Associates, presented a rezoning and housing development plan on Overbrook Road. He said the original application was submitted earlier this year, with he and other representatives presenting information at two previous planning commission meetings.

Under the proposal, the area that fronts Overbrook Road near Bowers Road would be rezoned from rural-agriculture to R2, which ultimately changes the dimensions of the homes permitted on the properties in those zones.

The two zones have the same 7,500 foot lot area, 60-foot width and 40-foot rear clearance requirements. However, they differ in frontage space — 30 feet in the rural zone to 15 feet in the R2 zone — and in the space between lots — from 15 feet in the rural zone to 10 feet in the R2 zone.

The 51-acre plan would contain 116 single-family homes, which Victor said would be the same regardless of the zoning. However, the change would allow for wider homes to be built by Ryan Homes as compared to the modular, pre-built homes that the existing zoning permits. He said while they would be closer together, it would present a more attractive streetscape.

He added the price of the homes would be in the $100,000 range, and estimated an increase of $11.6 million in additional real estate value.

The township planning commission had recommended not considering the rezoning proposal at its most recent meeting, but Victor said his clients still wanted to approach the supervisors to see if a public hearing could be held to reconsider the matter.

Supervisors, however, were quick to decide on the issue.

“I just need to tell you this right now, we’re not going to do that,” said Michael Spreng, supervisor chairman. “I have no want or need to rezone that to benefit you, because that’s all its going to benefit is you.”

Supervisor Donald Marshall said similar zoning changes in the past have led to problems with parking, which in turn has lead to difficulties in maintenance.

“My opinion is it’s a total disaster,” he said. “It’s not that we’re against you. ... I see it as nothing but a nightmare for our employees, for the township ... because now the money that we’re making on (developments), we’re going to spend it on equipment and employees and more police officers. The taxes we’re getting, its going right back out.”

Spreng said he would like to see more upscale homes come to the township, and he has been disappointed with the developments that have been built thus far.

“We’re not against (development). We’ve done this over at these couple other plans and we take a look at them and its like, ‘man, what the hell did we do here?’” he said to applause from the audience.

“It looked better on paper than it does in real life,” Marshall added.