The Greensboro City Council unanimously voted to deny a rezoning request for 2005 and 2007 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. at the Tuesday, July 18 meeting in the Katie Dorsett Council Chamber.
The request from Akan Davis was to rezone the 0.43 acre property from Commercial Low (CL) to Conditional District-Commercial-Medium (CD-C-M).
Davis said that he was requesting the rezoning in order to move his used car business, King’s Automotive, to that location.
Davis said his business plan was to “build in the community and support the needs of the local community.” He said that with a gas station across the street and because of the commercial nature of the area, he thought a used car lot would be a good fit.
The property has been zoned Commercial Low since 2010 and before that was zoned Limited Business (L-B).
As in many rezoning cases in Greensboro, there was a lot of neighborhood opposition to the rezoning request. But unlike most rezoning requests with neighborhood opposition, in this case the City Council sided with the neighbors, although the points made by the neighbors were much the same as in other rezoning cases.
Councilmembers congratulated Davis on his drive and business plan and then explained that the location he chose, property already zoned commercial on a busy corridor, was not a good fit.
Councilmember Goldie Wells said, “I’m proud of him for wanting to be a businessman, but I’m quite concerned about the folk that live in the area. We are really intentional about trying to uplift our neighborhood. A car lot in his area is not the best fit for a business.”
Councilmember Hugh Holston said, “I will not be voting in favor of this request, but I really do appreciate your vision and your drive and your expertise.”
Councilmember Yvonne Johnson said, “I appreciate your plan, that’s just not the right place but there are places very close that might work for you.”
Councilmember Sharon Hightower said that every time she met with Davis, she told him, “That’s not a good fit on that corner. I don’t like the idea of a car lot there.”
The Planning Department staff had recommended in favor of the rezoning request and noted that it fit with the goals of the GSO2040 Comprehensive Plan.
Lol.. more BS and smoke … even from the east greensboro city council.
Thanks councilman that would of been out of place a down right tacky
Yeah you’re right let’s just put a Dollar Tree, a nail salon and a vape shop. They would be a perfect fit.
I have none of that In my neighborhood and it’s 90% black! This is Greensboro not Durham
Hightower said the lot would be a good place for a coffee shop, a better idea would be a gun store
Lets place a Gun Shop or Used Car Lot on Cornwallis or Lawndale or Willoughby Blvd. Some of you are full of BS o here. It’s okay for you all to be against a New Elementary School being built in Colfax. Or Condos near W. Friendly Ave. You complain when it’s your Neighborhoods, but for another Race….they can’t keep a Hero Street kinda clean as well.
Nonbs will you please decipher your letter so we will know what you meant.
I agree with the comments by Non-BS and Big City.
As a resident of the South Benbow Road Area I feel that many of the comments posted are a good example of a greater problem. That of not seeing all residents of the City as people with a right to stop development projects which will have a negative impact on their communities. The community came together and voiced our opposition to the rezoning… the proposed business would not have been a good fit. The community is working hard to clean the area up. To allow the establishment of the used car lot in a residential neighborhood would have been a massive slap in the face to the community. Just because the area is predominantly black, does not mean that we have to allow any type of business to be built in our community. Gillespie School is across the street… to say that a gun shop or a Vap shop should be placed on the corner is heartless and is an example of the use of development as a tool of environmental terrorism and destruction of neighborhoods. The South Benbow Road Community should be commended for taking positive action, to be heard.
Obviously sarcasm is not a word you are familiar with