Adams housing developer agrees to make changes
ADAMS TWP — After reaching an agreement with a group opposed to the plan and making changes to the development, officials with the Hickory Glen planned residential development were given tentative approval Monday.
Hickory Glen has been the center of debate for more than a year, with the plan proposed at the end of Pearce Road in a rural conservation zoning district. Residents said it would have a negative impact on land and traffic in the area, and disagreed with it being built in the RC zone. A yearlong legal battle ensued, with a Butler County judge ordering it back to the Adams Township supervisors for further consideration.
During a public hearing on the matter Monday before the supervisors, Brenda Sebring, attorney for developer Weaver Master Builders, said an agreement had been reached with Rob Crouthamel and the Saving Rural Adams group. Under that agreement, the numbers of residential homes would be reduced from 42 to 40. Additionally, she said the agreement included an increase to the rear yard buffer zone, as well as the reduction of a steep slope disturbance. Additionally, deeds in the development would include a notice that the area surrounding the plan is an agriculture security area, which carries limitations and requirements to help protect the environment.
Under the agreement, the Saving Rural Adams group will withdraw any objections to the plan, and cannot file them again, Sebring said. Crouthamel, who attended Monday’s meeting, did not speak during the public comment period.
The plan presented Monday contained some modifications, including a deviation from a township ordinance requiring sidewalks on both sides of the street. Sebring said the developer agreed to place a sidewalk on one side, and also agreed to expand Pearce Road from 17 feet to 24 feet. That includes 20 feet of road, plus 4 feet for a bike lane and walking trail. The township would maintain the road after construction, Sebring said.
Additionally, Sebring said the plan will contain a cul-de-sac that would allow for a safer school bus drop off point, as well as safer access to Three Degree Road. The developer would also repair driveway approaches, move existing mailboxes and do other work consistent with road upgrades on Pearce Road. There is also a condition that any discussion over the construction of a walking trail from the cul-de-sac to the open plan would be “amicable” between the developer and the township.
Sebring said the plan meets all previous PRD zoning requirements, as well as new ones established last year by the township.
Three Pearce Road residents spoke Monday to voice their continued displeasure with the proposed development. Following the hearing, the supervisors held a special meeting to approve the proposed modifications to the plan, as well as consider tentative approval. They approved both measures unanimously.
The plan is still subject to full approval and another vote before the supervisors.
