CRANBERRY TWP — Cranberry Township supervisors Thursday approved a zoning overlay that became the subject of controversy in recent months.

The Planned Neighborhood overlay district, which allows for a broader range of housing types on nine parcels throughout Cranberry, passed with a 4-0 vote following two and a half hours of public testimony and months of debate that played out in the public.

Much of the testimony was made by residents who opposed the proposal, many of whom received applause from Planned Neighborhood detractors in both the main council chambers and an overflow room, where roughly 80 residents watched a live video stream from the chambers.

Opponents who spoke Thursday were against the district for myriad reasons, such as concerns it could cause more traffic in Cranberry, worries it may cause overcrowding Seneca Valley School District schools and unease over a feeling such a district could cause “urbanization” of the suburban southern Butler County community.

“We have enough of a mix (of housing types),” said one resident Jim Nicoterro. “We don't need any more mix.”

Others, however, voiced their support for the plan and gathered more scattered applause and even some jeers in the overflow room.

Jim Boltz, president of the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber of Commerce, spoke at the beginning of the public hearing, saying ordinances allowing for a wider variety of homeowners is good for businesses.

“Variety creates the path to community sustainability,” Boltz said. “It will supply a workforce for jobs at all levels that support the entire community. It also keeps taxes lower.”

Some of the provisions of the Planned Neighborhood ordinance — which, as an overlay district, would be an option but not a requirement for community developers to use if and when they develop those parcels — include the options to use single-family homes, duplexes, quadruplexes and townhouses as well as a requirement to have “a mixture of housing types” on “any individual block.”

Nowhere in the ordinance does it allow for apartment buildings or mixed-use areas.

A maximum of 4.75 dwelling units — a single family homes is one dwelling unit, a duplex two, etc. — may be allowed per acre under the overlay, with a minimum of 3.25 units per acre.

Supervisors wrangled with the opposition to the proposal in comments prior to the vote, saying they understood the opposition — although much of it stemmed from misinformation — but acknowledged growth will occur in Cranberry with or without the ordinance and said this will be a better way of managing it to achieve more of the township's goals.

I want to maintain sustainable growth in the community, managed growth,” supervisor Bruce Hezlep said.