News & Record article

Loop brings first zoning fight
By Jason HardinStaff Writer
Friday, Feb. 1, 2008 3:00 am

Credit: Doug Cox/News & Record
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What influence do developers have in Greensboro? (Blog)
GREENSBORO — It didn't take long after the newest section of the city's Urban Loop opened for a zoning fight to spring up along the highway.The highway is changing the suburban edges of the city, opening areas for growth and intensifying interest in already developed sites.The fight involves land off Friendly Avenue about a quarter-mile inside the loop. For more than a half-century, the site was home to Friendly Road Inn, a fish camp that closed in 2006.Now, Mega Builders, a company co-founded by County Commissioner Mike Winstead, proposes an apartment complex on the 13-acre site.The city's long-term plan envisions the areas around loop intersections as places for high-density development.But some residents in the area aren't thrilled about this proposed project.They say that although they don't mind development there, the proposal is too much. It calls for 10 three-story buildings.Colin Kelly, who lives in a nearby neighborhood of single-family homes, said the buildings are too tall and the project will damage the area."We just simply think that this does not fit our neighborhood," he said.Kelly said he recognizes that the loop makes the area more convenient to the rest of the city. He said new development shouldn't overwhelm existing areas.He and his wife, both recently retired, have been living there for 37 years."Excuse my French, but I'm too damned old to buy another house," Kelly said.Derek Allen, an attorney representing Mega Builders, said the site is a natural location for apartments.He said the city's plan bears that out by designating it a location for high-density development."This is not one of the properties that's on the edge," he said. "This is right in the middle of it."The project isn't going in the middle of an area dominated by single-family housing. Kelly's neighborhood sits on one side, the rest of the property is mainly surrounded by multifamily housing and Guilford Primary School.Designers have tried to make the project fit in, he said, both in the location of the buildings and in proposing a larger buffer than required."I think we've done as much as we possibly could," he said.The project has ties to some Guilford County political leaders.Aside from Winstead's connection, the land's owners include County Commissioner Linda Shaw and her husband, former state Sen. Bob Shaw.Kelly said he believes politics in the area are tilted toward real estate interests."I have always heard the statement that developers and real estate people run Greensboro," he said. "It's an absolute fact."Do you think he's right? Join the discussion at the Debatables blog.But the project hasn't necessarily been sailing smoothly through the city's approval process.The city's zoning commission voted to deny the request, which was appealed to the City Council.The council voted 4-3 at its last meeting to approve the project.Robbie Perkins was absent and Mike Barber recused himself from the vote.With Perkins back on Tuesday to vote on a second reading of the ordinance, the rezoning will need five votes to pass.Perkins declined this week to say which way he is leaning.He said the board could reopen a hearing on the proposal. The portion of the loop from Bryan Boulevard to Interstate 40 opened late last year.

Code of Ethics

I quote the first papagraph:

WHEREAS, to protect the integrity of governmental decisions and to promote public confidence with respect to the impartiality and the fairness of those decisions, it is deemed in the best interest of the City to establish minimum standards that the Mayor and members of the City Council shall follow to avoid conflicts of interest, or the appearence thereof, in governmental decision-making

Article in YES Weekly

Here is the link to YES Weekly. There was a great article by Jordan Green concerning rezoning. This is truely an interesting read.

http://yesweekly.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=3270

CHANNEL 14 NEWS

WFMY NEWS 2

Support meeting

News 2 came to our neighborhood this afternoon. We want to thank all of our neighbors who came out in the cold to support us. We also want to thank News 2 for listening.

Today is January 27, 2008, turn to News 2 tonight at 11:00 pm and hear what we have to say. I understand that it will air again during the Good Morning Show from 5:00 to 8:00 am but we don't know when.

We would also like to invite all those who are opposed to this development to join us for the City Council meeting on February 5, 2008.

If anyone would like to contact us please call 336-456-6107.

Friendly Avenue Rezoning

A builder is trying to have the property that the Friendly Road Inn was on as well as the parcel directly beside it to the west rezoned for ten 3 story buildings with 228 apartments. A small single family neighborhood just west of both properties is most affected. This small neighborhood consists of 25 single family homes.

This property is probably the last infill property left on Friendly Avenue between the new Painter Blvd just one block away and Guilford College. As one of the home owners in this neighborhood, we are not against development. In fact we would welcome a responsible builder developing a neighborhood that is compatitable to ours. We are against the density. Ten 3 story building up against single family homes is too much.

Just in toward Guilford College is the Coble Farm community. There are 250 some homes on this 52 acre tract of land. Mega Builders wants 228 appartments on 13 acres of land.

Our community formed a group and were joined by Carriage Crossing, Carriage Village and Coble Farm. There are 400+ homes all saying this is too dense.

Our group won the first round with the zoning board on December 10, 2007. The builder appealed it to city council on January 10, 2008. With Robbie Perkins absent because of an injury and Mike Barber having to recuse himself it did not pass with a majority and there will be a second reading on February 5, 2008.

The residents of Coble Farm were able to get really great restrictions for Meadow Creek that runs to the west of their property. Mega Builders has not made the first concession concerning this creek that has its headwaters just south of Friendly Avenue. In addition there is a small spring fed fresh water pond on the Shaw property and the builder is wanting to reduce it by 2/3 and call it a rentention pond. This pond flows into Meadow Creek. Meadow Creek flows into Horsepen Creek. Horsepen Creek flows into Greensboro,s water supply.

Meadow Creek is protected on the north side of Friendly Avenue. Meadow Creek on the south side of Friendly Avenue is currently fair game for what ever the builder wants to do to it.