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The project, Fox Chase Estates, is proposed on 112 acres of land off of Airport Road nestled within the Easton Technology Center. Developers are seeking town approval through Easton鈥檚 planned unit development process, which would allow the homes to be built on the commercial-zoned land.

The developers are Easton Sunrise Partners LLC and Scott Wagner, a Talbot County businessman and a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. They previously aimed to build warehouses on the site, but in recent years plans shifted to residential 鈥� an effort that Shore Regional Health President and CEO Ken Kozel supports, according to Wagner鈥檚 attorney, Lawrence Scott.

鈥淲e are trying to build a residential community that meets the need of the hospital,鈥� Scott said Tuesday, noting that Wagner and Kozel have met to discuss the project.

In a statement Wednesday, Kozel said affordable housing availability is 鈥渆ssential鈥� to recruit and retain health care workers in a rural community like Easton. The hospital is not legally or financially involved with the proposed development, Scott said.

At an hours long meeting Tuesday, Planning Commission members were nowhere near ready to provide a positive recommendation on the proposal.

鈥淚t feels like we鈥檙e being the Planning Commission for the hospital and not for the town,鈥� said member William Ryall. 鈥淎nd that gives me a lot of concern.鈥�

Victoria McAndrews said the plans are 鈥渙verwhelmingly suburban.鈥� Michael Ports, the commission鈥檚 vice chair, said a lack of connectivity from the proposed development 鈥� which sits at the northernmost part of town limits 鈥� to Easton鈥檚 core is a 鈥渘on-starter.鈥�

Philip Toussaint, commission chair, said parts of the plan significantly fall short of meeting Easton鈥檚 comprehensive plan, which sets the framework for how the town facilitates growth. That comprehensive plan is undergoing an update currently, and McAndrews said such a large project should wait for that update.

Scott said Tuesday that developers have met individually with Town Council members and Mayor Megan Cook multiple times and that the 365-unit project meets affordable housing needs that the town and its residents are asking for.

THE UNITS

Application documents show that developers are planning for a variety of units, including single-family homes, three-story townhomes and multifamily buildings, along with two commercial buildings.

The 365 units are broken down as follows: 108 single-family detached homes, 137 three-story townhomes and 120 multifamily units, the latter of which are contained in four four-story buildings.

The density is well below the maximum permitted by the town鈥檚 planned unit development standards. According to developers, 185 of the 365 units would be affordably priced.

鈥淲e鈥檙e doing that without even the statutory forcing of us to do it,鈥� Scott said, adding that developers have a 鈥渂idding war鈥� from home building companies to take on the project. 鈥淭he market is working on its own.鈥�

APPROVAL PROCESS

Fox Chase Estates still has a handful of steps before it is approved by Easton officials. With significant pushback already, it鈥檚 likely to be a lengthy process.

In staff analysis of the application, concerns were raised about the site plan, which only includes one main vehicle access point to the 365-unit development. An emergency exit stretching west to Goldsborough Neck Road did not satisfy town staff. Scott said developers would prefer not to add that as a main access point but will consider it.

鈥淲e really want two access points to any project like this,鈥� said Town Engineer Rick Van Emburgh.

Talbot County Engineer Ray Clarke criticized the project and the lack of communication between developers and the county. Clarke said it鈥檒l put an undue stress on Airport and Goldsborough Neck Roads and added concerns that the homes will be in the runway protection zone for Easton Airport.

鈥淲e need to be very, very careful when we鈥檙e looking at these types of development,鈥� Clarke said. 鈥淭his was general commercial as originally planned. We were told three or four years ago it was going to be warehouses.鈥�

On Tuesday, the Planning Commission opted to place a pin in the matter and revisit it on July 17. Commission members may then provide a recommendation.

Once the commission makes its recommendation, council members will consider the application and hold a public hearing before any decision. While the council may take the commission鈥檚 decision into account, the five council members have the final say, with a majority required for approval.