Adams Planning Commission reorganized Wednesday evening before looking at a number of development plans, including two long-standing items.

Allan Beechey, project manager and senior engineer for Sheffler & Co., sought preliminary subdivision and land development approval for the Harlan Simons Industrial/Residential plan along Dobson Road.

Among other elements, Beechey said an additional access point to Mars Evans City Road has involved planning around either a stream or railroad crossing.

“We have been working on it,” Beechey said.

Beechey said the plan includes using the development's own property and crossing Breakneck Creek instead of the railroad. Plan developers need PennDOT and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection approval to do that.

Martin McKinney, planning commission chairman, asked how long the DEP approval will take. Beechey said the permit would take a year.

Planning commission members said they'd like to see Harlan Simons added to the agenda for approval only after there's been significant progress on areas such as permits.

The Harlan Simons plan has been on and off the agenda for about two years, according to McKinney. Extensions for approvals have been granted throughout the process while the plan has reached key milestones.

Township solicitor Sean Gallagher asked the planning commission to approve another extension until Feb. 23.

During that extension, Gallagher said he and township staff will figure out an administrative solution for handling long-standing agenda items.

Beechey also asked the planning commission to grant final approval for Amherst Village Phase 5.Phase 5 includes 52 lots along Forsythe Road.Preliminary approval for Amherst Village Phases 5 through 7 was granted by the planning commission last September.Ron Olsen, township engineer, reviewed several checklist comments he made on Phase 5 for final approval.While Olsen said a number of “little things” have been corrected, some bigger things such as the installation of a gas line buffer and prepared engineer estimates still need attention.“For that reason, I am suggesting that you would table the plan until all these things have been resolved,” Olsen said.The planning commission voted to table final approval until the Feb. 23 meeting.The commission also clarified that if the developers deviate from approved land clearing plans once Phase 5 has secured final approval, they must notify the township.“It's being watched,” McKinney said.