The Greensboro City Council approved three annexation and original zoning requests for residential development at the Tuesday, April 19 meeting.
The three requests total about 229 acres and will allow the addition of over 770 dwelling units to the Greensboro housing market.
Only two no votes were cast in the three annexation and original zoning requests and they were by District 2 Councilmember Goldie Wells on the request to annex 112 acres on US 29 and zone them Conditional District Residential Single Family-5 (CD-R-5).
The conditions set the maximum number of single-family homes to be built at 284, and attorney Amanda Hodiern representing the developer GreenHawk Corporation noted that it was basically an extension of the Reedy Fork development by the same developer.
Neighbors in opposition listed a number of concerns including the loss of trees, the construction traffic disrupting their neighborhood, the additional traffic that would be the result of 284 new homes in the area and the lack of defined buffers between their single-family residential neighborhood and the proposed new single-family residential neighborhood.
In support of the request, At-large Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter said, “Greensboro is expanding toward the east it is the only way we can go.”
She added, “As said before, we need housing; we need housing desperately.”
At-large Councilmember Hugh Holston said, “I’ve been all across the city and I often hear about housing and affordable housing. One of the first things we can do is increase our housing stock.”
However, Wells said, “I’m voting no to be in sync with my constituents.”
While District 1 Councilmember Sharon Hightower voted in favor of the motions she said, “Goldie, I’m with you in spirit.”
It is a common practice for the two councilmembers representing East Greensboro, Wells and Hightower, to vote against rezoning requests and in this case original zoning requests in East Greensboro despite the fact that they also frequently lament the lack of development in East Greensboro.
Blah, Blah, Blah. What is there to consider? The housing shortage in our area is a problem for everyone. As housing becomes more and more unavailable, the prices skyrocket such that low and middle income families cannot afford a home. I do not know who Ms. Wells has been talking to in her community, but everyone else seems to think that more housing is critically needed.
We cannot fix ignorance, WE the People can vote it out!
Simple Comment…..Let’s vote in a whole new Mayor and Council. I’m tired of their childishness and I’m tired of them approving every single zoning matter that comes before them!
Would a new Dollar General be better
Did this race hustler not get the dump closed after she moved in next door and cried, “RACISM” !?
I want my Constitutional Republic back. Where the rights of the smallest minority, the individual, are always protected!
“Under a true democracy, the people get the government they deserve! I don’t deserve the insanity of mob rule!
The former council closed the landfill after ms wells and the black power brokers cried racism. People didn’t remember that before it was closed the area around it was developed and the city gave grants and vouchers to black families to buy the new homes with the understanding that they knew about the landfill and agreed to live there. As soon as the dust settled the landfill protest began. The landfill got closed, black people got subsidized homes and no one was asked to give back any money. The taxpayers now pay a lot of money to have our trash trucked to a landfill several counties away. Maybe the whole area should have been redlined or blacklined whatever color suits you.