ADAMS TWP — At their meeting on Monday, April 22, supervisors voted to table their decision on approving the development plans for Mandera, a planned residential development which would be located off Callery Road.

After two years, it seemed Monday night would be the night Mandera would finally receive approval. However, some residents brought up lingering concerns about whether or not the construction will impact their property, and whether or not the developers would live up to claims they made at previous planning commission meetings.

“Tonight, (the sticking point) was the promises that had been made between the planning commission and nearby residents,” said supervisor Darryl Brandon. “And they’re not comfortable that those have been addressed.”

One resident, Ray Turner, who lives on Callery Road, expressed concern the developers would wind up damaging trees in the neighborhood.

“I don't want them saying, ‘Well, we own this now. We're going to put a garden in and damage those trees,’” Turner said. “Are we going to hold back 30 feet, non-disturbed? Or are we going to move over and say, ‘Well, we should be back 30 feet, but we won’t.’”

“We're now down to one outstanding issue, and that is the actual trees within the 30-foot setback,” said board chairman Russell Ford.

If brought to completion, Mandera would feature nine single-family lots.

According to Ford, the residential development was first brought before the township in July 2022, and has since been bounced back to the township’s planning commission three times for review.

Mike Greca, representing the Mandera development, expressed dismay that the decision would be held up again over the matter of the trees. Greca said the developers had made every effort to comply with the township’s ordinances.

“We were told we needed one more item. We got the item,” Greca said. “It seems to me that every month, this is what happens.”