It is common during hearings on developments that developers unveil their plans for a project and residents turn out to voice their opposition to it.

Development can provide benefits to a community, but giving residents the ability to discuss their concerns to ensure that their quality of life is not negatively affected is equally important.

Two recent meetings drove this point home — one in which residents discussed a proposed addition to the Forest Edge housing development and another on the Balls Bend infrastructure project to realign and widen Route 228.

Last week, Cranberry Township residents said that a proposed revision to the Forest Edge development to add a third phase and 42 additional homes was not being designed with consideration to nature preservation, stormwater management, the impact on traffic and access for school buses and emergency vehicles.

The project’s developer and township officials said that additional sidewalks at sites in the development could be prioritized, an effort would be made not to disturb mature trees during construction and additional trees and vegetation could be planted at the development.

However, residents were still concerned about stormwater issues — one resident said he had spent thousands of dollars to combat the runoff of water and mud in his driveway — and the development changing the area’s landscape. These are valid concerns.

While Dick Hadley, Cranberry supervisors chairman, said the plan has met state and local development ordinance guidelines, we urge the developer to work with the plan’s neighbors to ensure that their quality of life is not drastically altered.

In Middlesex, the state’s Department of Transportation’s detailed plans for the massive upgrade to Route 228. That project would straighten a sharp curve near the intersection with Harbison Road and redirect the route to dip south of Allemande Lane.

It would reconnect with the existing route on the western end of the bend and expand to the road, so there will be two lands traveling in both directions with turning lanes to accommodate traffic increases.

While the project generated excitement at the meeting, six houses, one business and several other properties are expected to be affected by it.

One business owner said it could be “disastrous” for him because it would possibly limit access to his store. While he recognized the project’s importance, he voiced “frustration” that PennDOT’s decisions are made “behind closed doors.”

The Route 228 project is long overdue and most residents agree that it would make the roadway easier to travel. But much like the Forest Edge project, it is important that developers take feedback from residents affected by the upgrade into consideration.

The acronym NIMBY — which means “not in my backyard” — typically carries a negative connotation, and refers to people who are opposed to development.

In the case of the two aforementioned projects, we hope the developers will listen to residents’ concerns and accommodate them as much as possible, regardless of whether their project has met the necessary guidelines.

— NCD