Following a year of heated debate about Toll Brothers’ proposed development at Crebilly Farm, Westtown Township supervisors have unanimously voted to deny a building permit, writes Caitlin McCabe for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The decision on the 317-unit housing project for the 322-acre parcel was made in front of a cheering crowd of residents and preservationists. The supervisors did not give an immediate explanation of their decision, saying only that a written decision will follow in the coming weeks.

Initial plans for the land by the luxury homebuilder included a combination of single-family homes and townhouses, with variations on the plan including preserving more than half of the site as open space.

However, locals rallied against the project. They claimed that the entire farm should be preserved as open space due to its proximity to the historic Brandywine Battlefield.

The decision “shows how serious Chester County townships are about preserving open space,” said Ken Hemphill, communications coordinator for Neighbors for Crebilly, which protested the development. “They fight for the quality of life.”

Read more about the decision in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.