They like the revised drainage plans better than an earlier version that had been described as “scary,” but Planning Board members still have concerns about the number of lots proposed for Francis Estates off Charlotte White Road.

After meeting on the subject again last week, the board invited developer ELJ Inc. of Bristol, RI, to return for a third time with further revisions for the 31.6-acre site at 50-58 Charlotte White Road (on the south side of Charlotte White Road and west side of Main Road).

The company wants “open space residential” approval enabling it to cluster the houses on a bit over half of that acreage, leaving the rest for open space with paths and trees. Some of the open space is wet and part would hold a community septic system and water retention ponds.

Neighbors stood to protest the proposal at a January 25 meeting but lines at the microphone were shorter this time around.

That was due in large part to the fact that the developer redrew plans to move much of the proposed drainage system off an easement that runs through neighboring properties and entirely onto the Francis Estates property. This after, as one neighbor put it on January 25, they are “coming on our land and essentially taking it. There is plenty of land they could use on their own property. They are being greedy. This is our land.”

At the outset of the March 5 meeting, ELJ attorney Richard Burke displayed a new plan on which “drainage (is) moved onto the applicant’s property.” He added that the project deserves approval because it meets the goals of the open space residential rules.

ELJ engineer Mike Russell called the new plan a “substantial improvement,” both because it eliminates the drainage objection and because it produces a simple, more efficient system, He added that final drainage plans have not yet been completed.

Several neighbors agreed that it seems better, as did board member Robert Daylor who had called the previous plan “very strange … “I’m not easily scared but this is scary.”

Of the new plan he said, “It’s an improvement.”

But Mr. Daylor said he is still not sold on the project, largely due to layout of the 16 lots.

“These lots are strangely configured … a very odd configuration,” he said. “They have to jerrymander to get the 16 lots (and) end up with these long narrow lots with long narrow driveways.

“When we act we have to keep in mind what the experience of living here would be like for these people,” he said. “Things are getting better and they could get more better,” if the lot count is reduced — he later mentioned 14 lots.

An audience member who said he purchased his 20 Charlotte White Road property a year ago for $450,000, said he came back to Westport for what it has to offer, “big yards, privacy.”

He said he was assured by his real estate agent that there would never be a house on the lot next door because it is too small to be buildable. Now that same agent has a sign out in front of that same lot next door offering it for sale as part of the Francis Estates open space development even though, he added, it is not connected to the other house lots.

“I don’t think this is the spirit of Westport, not why I moved back to Westport.

Board member David Cole agreed with Mr. Daylor about the lot layout.

“I thought your new plan is moving in the right direction (but) the way you are configuring your house lots is not one a lot of people would want to live in.”

Fewer lots should have more value, he said, adding “the way you have configured these strikes me as pretty weird.”

Mr. Burke said he doesn’t know if a lot reduction is financially feasible for the developer. If not, he said ELJ could decide to build a conventional subdivision, perhaps with drainage back on that easement, an alternative that neighbors might not prefer.

“If this ends up being 14 lots it’s not the end of the world,” Mr. Daylor replied, and it changes everything. Sixteen lots “is a much tougher battle.

Mr. Russell agreed to attempt a plan with fewer lots and the meeting was continued to March 20.