A developer’s plan to add new entrances to a proposed apartment complex on South Main Street is encouraging.

New conceptual drawings for Farmville Associates’ 120-unit development envision the donation of 10 acres to the Town of Farmville for community use, as well as the two new entrances — one using the Walmart Shopping Center parking lot and the other using the Tractor Supply parking lot.

Both new entrances would give apartment tenants protected stoplight access to heavily traveled South Main Street. The latest plans, presented to the Farmville Town Council last week, still show a third, direct entrance off of South Main.

We commend developers Russell Harper and Will Allen for the good-faith step to improve safety for motorists, as well as the donation of land. The town and its residents would no doubt benefit from the space, which could be used for a public park or other green space.

The next step is for members of the town council to study the new proposal and talk to their constituents about it.

The new entrances drastically change the project, in our opinion, to the degree that the planning commission should possibly take another look at it before council members make the final call.

It’s been a healthy evolution, fueled by concerns from the people of Farmville and by appointed and elected officials who have asked important questions instead of simply rubber-stamping the project and issuing the conditional use permit required for construction to begin.

We hope town council members and the citizens will continue the same due diligence in examining the new proposal, which is a step in the right direction.