CRANBERRY TWP — The township supervisors Thursday night rejected a developer's second proposal of a retail development on the site of the former Pittsburgh North Campground on Route 228.

The Shops in the Woods, the latest design by developer Thomas Petrarca of Youngstown, Ohio, had 127,317 square feet of commercial retail space on property near the Cranberry Commons mall.

The supervisors voted unanimously to deny the preliminary land development plans.

The rejection occurred because disagreements between the township staff and the developer over traffic access issues and road improvements weren't resolved before the vote went to the supervisors.

The township's planning advisory board also had recommended the developer's plan be denied.

The supervisors also ended a public hearing on this development's conditional use application because all of the required time has been used. That included 11 public hearing continuations since Feb. 28 last year.

The conditional use application is separate from the preliminary development application but the processes run concurrently, said Ron Henshaw, director of community development.

Supervisors are expected to vote on the conditional use application March 5.

Henshaw said that application also is expected to be denied.

A similar, but smaller, land development plan, which was first submitted by Petrarca, was denied on Oct. 23, 2003, by the supervisors also because of disagreement over traffic improvements and access issues.

The appeal on the township's decision on the 2003 plan still remains in the courts.

With Thursday's denial, the developer can appeal that decision to the Butler County Court.