ADAMS TWP — Although the developer's attorney said all of the issues raised by opponents of the Hickory Glen planned residential development have been addressed, the board of supervisors denied final approval of the plan because they want more information on issues the opponents brought up Monday night.

Supervisors Tom Franceschina, Linda Lees and Ed Vogel voted against final approval of the PRD. Supervisor Russ Ford refused to vote due to lack of information, and supervisors President Donald Aiken voted in favor of final approval.

The final approval of the Pearce Road plan was up for a vote by supervisors on April 24, but they asked the developer for an extension until Monday's meeting to iron out issues brought up at that meeting by the opponents.

On Monday night, Pearce Road resident Jonathan Spuntak told the supervisors that Breakneck Creek Regional Authority said in a telephone call that the existing 20 homes on the road will not be able to tap into the sewer as promised by developers because the line being installed is low pressure.

Rob Crouthamel, a Pearce Road resident who has been a vocal opponent of Hickory Glen, told the supervisors that the potential to hook up to the development's new public sewer line was one of the PRD's benefits to the community.

“Now it's not clear that the forced sewer main would be something that Pearce Road residents could hook up to,” Crouthamel said, “so it's not clear that residents would benefit from public sewer.”

Crouthamel also said the mounding on the buffer easements between the existing homes and the PRD property was not visible on the final plans.

Pearce Road resident Garrett Sullivan said school buses would not be able to turn onto Pearce Road from the proposed development without entering both traffic lanes, and barely then.

But Brenda Sebring, the attorney for the developer Brett Schultz of Weaver Master Builders, said all three of the issues raised were addressed in the final plans.

She said the opponents are intentionally bringing up issues at each meeting to delay the plan.

“I believe what is happening here is we will keep coming back and never have an all-inclusive list as to all these issues,” Sebring said.

She added that Crouthamel all but admitted the opponents would never be satisfied, no matter how many concessions the developer made.

“I was told point blank by Mr. Crouthamel 'There is nothing you can do to satisfy me,'” Sebring said.

She said Crouthamel's appeal of Hickory Glen's tentative approval is now in Butler County court, where a judge mandated that the board vote to approve or deny final project at Monday's meeting.

“The board really needs to do its job and grant this final approval,” Sebring said.

The majority of the board members then voted to deny the plan.

Sebring would not comment after the vote whether she would recommend that the developer pursue legal action because of the denial.

The opponents of the plan disagree with the placement of planned residential developments in the township's rural-agricultural zoning district because they say their density does not blend with neighboring properties and increases traffics on rural roads. They also say the R-A zoning district was meant to remain the rural section of the fast-growing township.

Tina Wilson, whose property would be near Hickory Glen, told the supervisors many area municipalities are not allowing planned residential developments.

“We need to start thinking about maybe this isn't the right direction for our community,” she told the supervisors.