HAMILTON — A controversial 52-lot housing development on Kuser Road in Hamilton got the township Zoning Board approval Tuesday night, bringing it one step closer to breaking ground.

Sharbell Development Corporation’s plan for a 52-lot housing development will still need approval by the state Department of Environmental Protection before construction begins. Tom Troy, vice president of Sharbell, said the company wanted to finish remediation and begin construction by this fall.

A number of community groups and residents oppose the plan, though, including Save Hamilton Open Space and the Delaware River Keeper Network. Representatives from those groups and resident Mark Meara turned out to question the application.

That resulted in a tense exchange between Meara and Troy over whether enough testing for lead and other metals had been done at the site, which used to house firing ranges for the Italian American Sportsmen’s Club.

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