On Tuesday night, committee members considered the issue for about three and a half hours, in what was a follow-up report to the original, also the source of three-plus hours of debate in March.

In the end, aldermen were still not prepared to make a decision on the issue, particularly uneasy about several key issues including park location, density, proposed three storey townhouses and more.

They deferred the issue to the next planning meeting.

"We need a lot more valuable information," Ald. Wayne Fertich said of the proposal, which calls for more than 220 units to be developed on the 27-acre former Westbrook Greenhouses property between Livingston Avenue and Main Street West in Grimsby. "We're going in circles here tonight."

Planning committee members had narrowed down concerns to just a handful and started to take a "straw vote" on each concern, but in the end opinions shifted and members weren't comfortable making a decision.

Among the chief concerns left unanswered was what would be the impact of moving a park from the north end of the subdivision to the south.

While if it remained in its present site it would be mixed with a stormwater management pond, if it were moved members feared they would end up with an unattractive "pit"-style stormwater management area.

"We'd be looking at something much deeper or steeper," said Ald. Fertich, adding he doesn't want to see something similar to what is built at the Vineyard Valley development on the east end of town.

Ald. Nick DiFlavio noted they didn't have the expertise present Tuesday night to determine what the stormwater pond would look like, however, so it would be difficult to make a final decision.

The majority of members voted in favour of other issues such as there being no Main Street connection to the subdivision, permitting the developer to reduce road widths and providing an emergency access of some sort for the development.

A majority of members also appeared to be against the Official Plan amendment requested by the developer, Losani Homes, to alter the medium-density area of the development to build three-storey townhouses, including back-to-back units, and to increase the density from 30 to 42 units per hectare.

Some, however, questioned whether or not denying that would be realistic.

"We wouldn't have a leg to stand on at the OMB," said lay member John Gillespie, describing it as a "dead horse" if it were to get to the OMB process.

Ald. DiFlavio said the town's Official Plan defends the decision, as those proposals aren't permitted in the medium-density area.

Gillespie, countered, however by saying members need to remember the Official Plan is 25 years old and could be considered outdated with the new planning policies at the region and province.

Fred Losani, president of Losani Homes said the density across the entire subdivision would be appropriate despite the denser area to the north, at Livingston Avenue.

"It's just redistributed differently," he said, noting southern portions are less dense.

He stressed the company is against moving the park, especially since it would move it from a higher-density area where more people would be able to enjoy it.

By moving it to the south of the development, as was suggested by planning staff, he said it wouldn't make sense. There are larger lots down there, he noted, and they would have their own amenity space in their yards.

"If I had known the lots would become a park, I wouldn't have bought them," said Losani.

Local resident Terry White, during a delegation prior to committee's discussion said he hoped the committee was "really listening" to the public and its concerns, including potential traffic issues, as well as the desire for the Main Street access. He said neighbours were also concerned about the density.

"Committee have shown little regard for the will of the people," White said, adding he hopes committee, when it makes its decision, will consider the "health, welfare and safety" of the neighbouring residents.

The issue will now be deferred until the May 27, Planning and Development Committee meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Grimsby Town Hall.