JACKSON TWP — The township supervisors will try again to draw up a planned residential development ordinance to help control undesirable residential growth.

The latest attempt comes nearly two years after a similar effort failed when residents voiced objections to an overlay zoning district that would have permitted PRDs in residentially zoned districts.

According to the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, a PRD is land to be developed as a single entity for a number of dwelling units, or a combination of residential and nonresidential uses.

A public forum in June allowed township residents to talk about how to control residential growth.

Once a draft PRD ordinance is drawn up, another public forum to discuss the draft will be held, likely in late October. The exact date will be announced by township officials.

Supervisors Tom West and Roy Huffman voted Thursday evening to draft another PRD ordinance, while Gary Goehring voted against it.

Goehring said he personally is in favor of a PRD ordinance, but he voted against another draft because of residents' opposition to the last attempt.

"People are going to feel like we're trying to shove it down their throats," said Goehring. "It's only been a year and a half (since the last vote). I think roads are more important than this."

He added that the last failed PRD ordinance cost township taxpayers money in legal and advertising fees, and that was money that could be better spent elsewhere.

But West said a PRD ordinance is important to the development of the township.

Huffman has been a proponent of a PRD ordinance, having set up the first public forum to gather input on handling the township's potential future growth.

Township solicitor Tim Bish said Thursday evening there are questions as to whether the township's current residential land development requirements could hold up in court if they are challenged.

Bish also pointed out most growth areas in Western Pennsylvania have PRDs in their land development ordinances.

Bob McGuire, a township planning commission member who attended Thursday's meeting, said now is a good time to develop a PRD ordinance because there is little construction going on.

In December 2006, the supervisors rejected a proposed overlay zoning district that would have allowed planned residential developments to be created after residents came to several hearings in opposition to the change.

Several neighboring communities, including Cranberry and Adams townships, have used planned residential development provisions to mandate certain public improvements that may not be required for single family homes in a traditional subdivision.

With an overlay district, the current zoning remains, but a second layer of potential development opportunities would have been placed in the designated area.

The proposed township PRD overlay district in the past would have included the area between Interstate 79, Lindsay Road and Route 68.

Most of that property was zoned rural agriculture, with some of the properties zoned residential medium density and residential high density.

Residents in opposition to the PRD overlay district were concerned the changes would harm the rural character of the township, and they said it went against the township's comprehensive plan goals.

Others said the overlay district was an attempt to stimulate growth in Jackson that had been occurring in its neighboring communities.