ZELIENOPLE — Representatives of Glade Run Lutheran Services on Monday night shared their idea for a tight-knit and inclusive residential community with borough council.

They outlined the proposed $30 million Jeremiah Village residential community that is planned for 12 acres bordering Route 68 and North Green Lane.

The development is proposed for two phases. The first includes 144 one and two-bedroom apartments with a capacity for 216 residents. It also includes a 15,000 square-foot community center, a swimming pool and space for community events.

The second phase has 68 cottages for 136 people.

The community is to be inclusive for people with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder. It also will be open to the public, according to information distributed by the developer, GSX Solutions.

The organizers hope that the people who live there will form a community bond where residents look out for one another, said Charles Lockwood, president of Glade Run Lutheran Services.

“What safety is really about is a community. It’s not about alarms, it’s not about gates and it’s not about locks,” Lockwood said.

“It’s about relationships between people — people looking out after their neighbors and being aware of their neighborhood, and that is exactly what Jeremiah Village is designed to be.”

George Braddock, a consultant who specializes in inclusive community development, said that people with disabilities don’t want to live in enclaves where they are isolated from society.

“People with disabilities, they want the same things we all want,” he said.

“They want to have a home of their own or an apartment of their own. They want to have friends. They want to have a job. They want to live in a safe place, and they want to have meaningful things to do just like everybody.”

To make the community inclusive to people with autism or other disabilities, some of the units will have special features. These include extra soundproofing, cleaner air, keyless locks and special lighting, Braddock said.

Kathleen Strickland, a board member with Glade Run Lutheran Services, said Jeremiah Village is a positive step for community planning across the county.

“I think this is going to be an exciting new adventure nationally because we are looking for ways to not just to accommodate people on the autism spectrum, but make our communities more inclusive around the county.”

The project also will benefit the borough as a whole, said Jon Grant, project architect and president of GSX Solutions.

The construction would generate $1 million in impact fees for the borough and would create several permanent full-time jobs, Grant said.

The developer also predicts that the new residents would generate $2 million annually in new revenue for businesses in and around the borough.

Councilmember Ralph Geis added that the new revenue created for the borough’s water and electric utilities would be positive.

According to its application, the development will pay borough, county, state and school district taxes including an estimated annual payment of $302,000 to the Seneca Valley School District.

Pending approvals and permits from the borough, the construction of Phase I is expected to begin this summer and will take 12 months to complete.

Monday night marked the public hearing for the conditional use permit. Council will consider that approval March 30.

One piece of the application that council has yet to review is a state Department of Transportation traffic study.

That area already has with some traffic congestion, so the traffic from additional residents could be a concern, Geis said.

“Route 68 from Glade Run to Main Street can be a real son of a gun at certain times of the day,” he said.