HARMONY — Borough officials are taking a new approach to communicate with neighboring Jackson Township about land developments.

The Creekside Committee was formed in April and has been in talks with township officials and developer Don Rodgers about plans for the controversial planned creekside development.

The committee was discussed Tuesday night at the borough council meeting.

The committee consists of Historic Harmony president John Ruch, borough council President Greg Such, parks board member Susie Altemus and borough planning commission members Joe White and Chuck Welsh.

“The committee has no legal authority and exists to inform and set the stage for negotiations on behalf of Harmony borough council,” Ruch said.

The committee has met twice with township officials and Rodgers. Ruch said the meetings have been “reasonably cordial” with a “cooperative atmosphere.”

Although no plan for the creekside area has been made absolute, townhouses and apartments are being explored as a possibility. Work force housing was previously considered.

Township manager Chris Rearick said previously the township has been in talks with Rodgers to donate 23 to 26 acres that cannot be developed to the township.

The township is developing a recreation plan that includes reconstructing the Harmony Trail and creating a trail network from Connoquenessing Creek to Wise Road.

About 11 acres on the borough’s side are owned by Rodgers and TCDR Associates.

Ruch asked council to accept 7.6 acres Rodgers wants to donate to the borough. That site is entirely on the borough’s side of the development.

Council Vice President Don Sims and solicitor Matt Racunas said they want to review the donation for potential liability issues.

“I definitely don’t want to just jump into this,” Sims said. “Let’s explore the positives and the negatives before we turn around and make a decision.”

The other three-plus acres in the borough will be used as a retention pond and maintained by TCDR Associates.

The committee also has been in talks with the township and Rodgers about reopening the entire Harmony Trail.

Ruch said Tuesday evening that Rodgers plans on reopening the trail soon, but will have to close it again for a brief time to install a utility line.

The trail, part of the historic Washington’s Trail, runs through Rodgers’ property by Creekside Manor.

Rodgers closed it to the public last June for safety reasons before negotiations led to a portion of the trail’s reopening this year.

Ruch also said the township is seeking state grant money for the area, which was used as farmland from the borough’s settlement in the early 1800s up until last year.

The Pittsburgh-Mercer-Erie Road once ran through the land until being moved.

Ruch said the committee plans on meeting regularly with the township officials.

“It is our hope to be able to continue to preserve what is there as well to better publicize and report the significance,” he said.

The committee also wishes for the land to be “environmentally sound,” for the borough to partner and cooperate with the township for the area’s recreational use and for the borough to take the opportunity to have a better partnership for maintaining the Harmony Trail.