BUTLER TWP — Unveiling of a proposed 50-unit townhouse complex Tuesday night was met with anxiety from about three dozen neighbors.

Specifically, residents near the North Duffy Road proposal are concerned low-income tenants will increase crime and problems in their quiet neighborhood, and decrease their property values.

Proposed for the 11-acre Ritenour property near North Duffy’s intersection with Route 422, the “Thompson Greene” development would include 30 two-bedroom and 20 three-bedroom townhouses. Each home would have a one-stall garage, and shared space would include a community building, a “tot lot,” a bike path and a playground.

“It’s work force housing,” said Andrew Cohen, senior vice president of the developer, Woda Group of Ohio.

The proposal, Cohen said, is a low-income tax credit program. Therefore, the housing units would be offered to people who make no more than 60 percent of the area’s median income. Cohen estimated the area’s median income to be between $50,000 and $60,000, and the average tenant to be in the $30,000 a year range. A portion of the housing, about 5 units, must be offered to people who make about $12,000 a year.

Cohen would not say how much the rent would be. But in exchange for creating affordable housing, investor companies would receive tax credits.

About an hour and a half of discussion followed Cohen’s description of the plan, with multiple speakers questioning the developer about the proposed tenants.

“We don’t want to live in fear,” said Arlene Sutton of Westwood Manor.

Cohen said his company, which already constructed a similar development in Slippery Rock called Madison Grove, screens tenants to be sure they have good rental histories and no criminal records.

“This is for people who are working,” Cohen said, pointing to the large amount of retail businesses on the south side of Route 422, and naming the people those stores employ as a target demographic.

“This is going to get railroaded through,” said Leo Domachowski of Westwood Manor, who also was among those worrying that the proposed development would aggravate sewage issues in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Cohen told the planning commission that sewage issues related to that property were corrected within the past five years. And township zoning officer Jesse Hines said officials from the Butler Area Sewer Authority said there was capacity to serve the development, and the plan would not cause problems with any existing developments.

The planning commission, agreeing that the proposal meets with township regulations, recommended the commissioners consider approving it at that board’s Dec. 15 meeting.

Cohen said if the proposal meets with all approvals construction will begin in March and take about a year to complete.