ADAMS TWP — Dozens of residents voiced concerns Wednesday during back-to-back hearings about the proposed Brookhaven and Meadowpoint housing developments.

Supervisors did not vote on either planned residential development (PRD).

Representatives for the developer presented Brookhaven first. The plan features 35 lots on 75 acres along Stoup Road.

Representatives said the updated plan includes one more lot than the 34-lot plan previously approved by the planning commission, but otherwise the two were identical.

Supervisor Russ Ford took issue. “If the planning commission approved 34, why are we at 35?” Ford asked. “Why am I looking at a plan tonight that was not approved by the planning commission?”

Allan Beechey, project manager for Sheffler & Co. representing Brookhaven, said the additional lot was not a significant alteration and that the rest of the plan was the same.

Ford disagreed, saying any change is significant. He said developers frequently try to bypass the planning commission with last-minute alterations.

“Every time we come here to a PRD meeting there's changes,” he said. “There should be no revisions ... I'm questioning why we're here tonight. As far as I'm concerned we should end this here.”

Supervisor Chairman Thomas Franceschina asked representatives of the developer if they would be willing to take the plan back to the planning commission for approval, and they said they would.

Supervisor Ron Shemela asked if they could continue the hearing anyway, since so many residents came to speak. Township solicitor Mike Gallagher said they could continue the hearing and later the developer could present the altered plan to the planning commission. That way the board wouldn't have to hold another hearing.

Supervisors agreed.

Ford asked the developer to also look at street parking options.

Residents then raised concerns about the impact the plan would have on traffic.

Tina Wilson said adding scores of cars to Stoup Road, which she described as just a country road, would cause potential problems.

“When you start adding 35 homes to infrastructure ... most homes have two cars so you're adding 70 cars to this road,” Wilson said.

Others voiced similar concerns, saying Stoup Road's blind curves and bad sightlines could lead to accidents.

Resident Sam Adams asked supervisors to look into widening the road if they approve the plan. Franceschina said they would look into the possibility.

Others questioned the safety of a recreational area by the entrance of the plan, and representatives from the developer agreed to talk to the planning commission about moving it.

Before the hearing closed, Franceschina showed the audience what the plan would look like if the developer had gone with permitted use instead of the PRD.

The map showed the property divided into 44 one-acre lots with little to no green space.

“I just want everyone to see this is what could be done, and that would be the end of it,” he said. “There would be no hearings. By doing the PRD, you cut down on homes and reduce the infrastructure.”

Supervisors adjourned the first hearing and opened the hearing for Meadowpoint.

Meadowpoint sits between Mars Evans City Road and Dobson Road and features 38 lots on 52 acres.

Landscape architect Steven Victor, representing the developer, walked the supervisors and audience through the evolution of the plan and pointed out that the final draft presented Wednesday was the same one approved by the planning commission. The plan required no modifications and met township code. Residents questioned the impact the plan would have on neighboring properties. Rob Crouthamel argued that more of the larger lots should have been placed closer to neighboring lots, rather than the smaller ones currently on the plan.

“Larger lots should be used to mitigate impact on neighboring lots,” he said.

Additionally the developer agreed to mark the trail on the property as open to the public and said that they'd add language to their HOA agreements to ensure that the HOA would maintain the trail and that they could not restrict public access.

Supervisors plan to vote on the Meadowpoint plan at their May 13 meeting. They hope to vote on Brookhaven in June.