JACKSON TWP — Following an extensive public hearing that drew dozens of residents, supervisors unanimously approved applications for a new residential development during a meeting Thursday, March 20.

The development, dubbed Phoenix Landing, was submitted by Cranberry Jackson Development and calls for the construction of 14 single-family units along Kaufman Road.

Phoenix Landing is unique in the fact that the land acquired by the developers is also in nearby Cranberry and Adams townships.

However, the developers said they have no plans as of now to extend construction beyond the 14 units in Jackson Township, which would have no jurisdiction over any possible proposed units in the other two townships.

Residents who live around Kaufman Road voiced concerns over how the new units might affect their personal water wells.

“We all built single houses that fit the property and put our wells, septic and stuff in,” resident Bob Perkins said during the hearing. “They come in there and they start doing stuff, how are we protected against excavation that maybe (makes) our wells go bad? That’s a major question, and that’s something that needs to be addressed for everybody.”

Township manager Chris Rearick said residents who live in the area have brought their concerns about water to township officials.

“The Franklin Road corridor, West Kaufman, East Kaufman tends to be an area where we have had residents coming to us, voicing concerns about particularly water and lack of water quantity,” he said.

Rearick said “most of the township” is served by Pennsylvania American Water, since the township does not have its own water authority.

Township officials have taken steps to try and alleviate some of that burden.

That included securing a $500,000 grant through the state’s H2O PA Act, which was passed in 2008 and is meant to assist municipalities with the construction of drinking water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer projects.

Moving forward, Rearick said “the township’s hope is to get access to Municipal Water Authority of Adams Township.”

He also said the developer has consented to halt any construction efforts until a public water source has been secured.

“One of the conditions the developer has consented to is that obviously he cannot record this plan until he has public water,” Rearick said. “So none of these lots can or will be served by private water, well water or public or private sewer.”

The path toward doing that, according to Rearick, would involve procuring an easement through adjoining properties to Callery Road and constructing a water line to the Kaufman Road corridor.

That plan would allow existing nearby residents to tap in to public water, but it would not be a mandatory requirement.

“We can say that it would offer public access to folks who didn’t have it before, although they would not be compelled to tap in,” Rearick said. “So I think that’s the best answer we can give in terms of water.”