By Rhino Times Reader Nicky Smith

Reid Phillips’ recent opinion piece written in the Greensboro News & Record https://nickyforgreensboro.com/reid-phillips-the-case-for-open-spaces/ hits close to home for me, and good reason. Over a year ago, I invested hundreds of hours leading the charge with the https://preservefriendlyavenue.com/ initiative. Together with more than 1,500 residents, we successfully deployed a Neighborhood Conservation Overlay (NCO) to protect an established Greensboro neighborhood from reckless rezoning and overdevelopment. That wasn’t just a victory for one neighborhood but a win for the future of responsible, community-driven planning across our city.

Today, we find ourselves facing the same old fight. The latest rezoning push at New Irving Park is yet another glaring example of how Greensboro’s City Council and Planning & Zoning Commission continue to sideline residents’ concerns in favor of aggressive developer-driven agendas. Our trails, greenways, parks, and open spaces aren’t just amenities; they are essential to our city’s character, well-being, and long-term livability.

Phillips, a respected attorney and lifelong Greensboro resident, made it clear that erasing our green spaces comes at a deep and lasting cost. Yet, city leadership repeatedly chooses short-term gains over long-term sustainability.

Even more troubling, my opponent, Adam Marshall, a former chair of the Planning & Zoning Commission, has openly supported these kinds of rezonings, showing exactly where his priorities lie. Greensboro cannot afford more rubber-stamp approvals that prioritize profit over people.

Let me be clear: I am not against infill development. It can strengthen our city when it’s smart, well-planned, and shaped by real collaboration with residents. However, growth must respect the integrity of existing neighborhoods and the voices of those living there.

As someone who has already stood shoulder-to-shoulder with this community and won, I am ready to do it again. When elected to City Council, I will fight to help this neighborhood develop its conservation overlay and secure approval, protecting it from unwanted development now and in the future.

Greensboro deserves leadership that listens and acts with integrity. I’m committed to that commitment and to this race and you.

 

Nicky Smith
Candidate for Greensboro City Council, District 4

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