MIDDLESEX TWP — The township zoning hearing board’s announcement on whether to overturn or uphold a controversial zoning amendment will not come for another month.

The zoning board solicitor and township officials said Tuesday that the decision on an amendment that regulates unconventional gas drilling in the township will be made May 27 instead of next Wednesday as originally planned.

The regular zoning hearing board meeting will be at 6 p.m. April 29 to deal with another zoning matter, said township manager Eric Kaunert.

He said the five-person zoning hearing board then will go to the Middlesex Township Volunteer Fire Company fire hall that evening to say to the public that the amendment decision will be announced May 27 at the fire hall.

The postponement of the decision is the result of a work schedule conflict by one of the zoning board members.

The hearing, which began in November, is the result of a challenge to the amendment by four township residents plus the Philadelphia-based environmental groups the Clean Air Council and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network.

They are challenging the zoning amendment because it allows unconventional natural gas drilling operations in much of the township.

Attorneys from the township, Rex Energy and MarkWest Energy Partners back the amendment.

The challenge caused a stoppage of the work on the five Rex Energy gas wells at the Bob and Kim Geyer farm on Denny Road, which a group of Mars School District parents have protested for a year because they say shale gas drilling operations would pose a health and safety hazard to the students in the nearby Mars schools.