The Borough Zoning Commission approved, with seven stipulations, an application for a cluster subdivision at 20-60 Castle Hill Road at a meeting last night.

The commission voted 4-1 to approve the application, with members Douglas Nelson, David Francis, Richard Davis, and Douglas McDonald voting for, and Claudia Mitchell voting against.

The most notable of the stipulations were one that removed 18 houses closest to the Rochambeau Trail, and another that opened the trails on the roughly 90 acres of the open space easement to public use.

Following the meeting, the founder of the grassroots organization The Newtown Conservation Coalition Dave Ackert noted the house reduction and public access to open space as good things, but thought there would be appeals to the overall approval.

Castle Hill Developer George Trudell was happy with the approval, but says he plans to "question" some of the stipulations.

Additional details will be provided in the full story in the February 28 edition of The Newtown Bee, and online on that same date.

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Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.