The Aberdeen planning commission has recommended single-family dwellings for a development that had originally sought to build more than 1,600 homes and condominiums.
Several members of the city's Planning and Zoning commission said the petition to build the dwellings on 497 acres, which would be annexed by Aberdeen, was too dense.
Christopher Michaels, management director of the project called Glengarry, said last week it was unclear what the property owners would pursue next.
"I don't mean to sound ambiguous," he said. "We're in the process of reviewing with different engineers. ... There's an awful lot of moving parts - working in conjunction with the city, state and citizens, hopefully to come to a plan that works for everyone."
This is the second time the annexation project for the area came before City Hall. In 2006, the first annexation proposal, called the Wetlands, was criticized by residents who said it was approved by City Council members with little information provided to the community. This action led to a moratorium on all Aberdeen annexation petitions. The moratorium was lifted in February.
This year, the project returned to City Hall with a modified plan and a new name - Glengarry. The developers held several public meetings to discuss the project with residents and distributed surveys seeking community suggestions.
Earlier this month, Jackie Seneschal, who represented the development, told the city's Planning and Zoning Commission the project could increase the city's tax base by $5 million.
It would bring 1,629 units in an area northwest of the city, according to the Glengarry Annexation Report submitted to the city in May. A golf course and residential homes are currently on the parcel.
The project was promoted as high-income housing to attract workers expected to come to nearby Aberdeen Proving Ground as a result of the military base realignment and closure plan, known as BRAC.
The report cites numbers from a BRAC study, which projected housing shortfalls in the county by 2012.
"Glengarry is anticipated to capture a portion of the BRAC-induced population increase and help the City of Aberdeen with its housing demand to maintain its citizens' quality of life," according to the report.
The report calls for 684 village homes, 55 estate homes, 526 three- and four-story brownstone homes, 198 carriage homes, 166 condominiums and 12.4 acres of commercial use sites.
