On Saturday, March 4, when a lot of area residents were thinking about the impending basketball game that night between Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, many Summerfield leaders and residents were focused on an entirely different subject – a move by local developer David Couch to have his property de-annexed from the town.
Couch has been engaged in a lengthy process with town officials that would allow him to build a large residential development in a way that would be acceptable to town officials. However, those negotiations seem to have come to an end. Town leaders learned that Couch was making an appeal to the NC General Assembly that would allow him to remove the property in question from Summerfield.
Saturday at 11:09 a.m. Town Manager Scott Whitaker sent out an email announcing an emergency 4 p.m. meeting that day.
Normally, local governments must give 48 hours’ notice before public meetings; however, if it is an emergency, the meeting can be held on very short notice.
The meeting included a closed session by the Summerfield Town Council.
When the councilmembers came back into open session, Summerfield Mayor Tim Sessoms told the attendees he was disappointed that Couch had chosen this path rather than to continue to work with the town to come to an acceptable arrangement.
Sessoms also said that the move would remove a “substantial core” of Summerfield and be very detrimental to the town.
He also said the town council was opposed to any de-annexation, but that the legislation seemed to be moving fast so he encouraged the residents to call and write their state representatives. The town provided contact information for the legislators on Summerfield’s Facebook page.
“This has come at us quick,” the mayor told the attendees.
I’m curious about the location of this property for development in relation to the rest of Summerfield. The article says it would remove a “substantial core”. Where might I find a map to show a map of Summerfield with this property location?
https://www.rhinotimes.com/news/david-couch-unveils-450-lot-housing-development-plans-in-summerfield/
It is a sad day for small town all across North Carolina. The idea that 1,000 acres in the middle of a lawfully incorporated town can get removed as the result of a political favor to a wealthy landowner is hard to imagine. The people of Summerfield decided long ago to preserve and protect their rural town. It does not even have municipal water or sewer (by choice). 80% + of the Summerfield citizens do not want anything to do with dense residential or rural development. Couch has not even requested that his land be rezoned! The only thing the Summerfield Town Council has voted down is Couch’s request to change the regulations on development. Is it that strange that the Town Council (elected by the people) should be able to write the zoning laws rather than Couch? Doesn’t the General Assembly have better things to do then get involved in one landowner’s development? Do local elections and Town Council votes mean anything anymore?
Well written. I agree
Good luck with that, Couch. Requesting de-annexation so you can get rich by building a development will not fly.
His property his choice welcome to Greensboro
You so stupid, Summerfield is not Greensboro maybe he needs to go to Sedalia for his project
Oh, good one Aussie!
David Couch of Summerfield Farms wants to take 1000 acres out of the center of a small town? Because over 95% of Summerfield citizens didn’t want his apartments? Awful! Don’t reelect any legislator foolish enough to support one greedy man over thousands of small town voters!
Couch bought Summerfield land and knew their development rules. Summerfield redid rules in 2021to help developers! They can build affordable townhomes, quadplexes, duplexes. He refuses to do it! Then this multi-millionaire misuses low-income housing as a smokescreen to get richer. Build nice affordable townhomes or duplexes and make money that way!
Everyone needs to call these legislators now! Your street and town may be next!
Phil Berger 919-733-5708
Jon Hardister 336-404-8791 919-733-5191
Ashton Wheeler Clemmons 919-733-5781
John Faircloth 336-841-4137 919-733-5877
Pricey Harrison 919-733-5771 336-247-5574
Amos L. Quick, III 919-733-5902
Michael Garrett 919-733-5856
Gladys Robinson 919-715-3042
Cecil Brockman 919-733-5825
The real problem is that there are too many people. Any suggestions on that one?
Why would Couch buy land in Summerfield knowing they don’t allow apartments or have public water and sewer if that’s what he wanted? He can make plenty of cash building within the rules, but millions aren’t enough? Will State leaders scorn thousands of voters to bail out a greedy developer and remove his land (in the middle of an incorporated town) from Summerfield? Couch (owner of Summerfield Farms) can build affordable housing and mixed-use development but hasn’t even submitted a plan to try!
Thousands of citizens fought his plan for massive apartment complexes in a small town with MORE UNITS THAN ANY COMPLEX IN ALL OF GREENSBORO. 90%+ Summerfield residents didn’t want it. If the legislators vote for him to deannex or sponsor his bill, we will make that known far and wide! Call out Berger (919-733-5708); Clemmons ( 919-733-5781); Hardister (336-404-8791) and crew now!
David Couch is a spoiled brat! He couldn’t convince/bully the town of Summerfield into changing their development ordinance for him build his high density apartment and commercial scheme so now he’s taking his hissy fit all the way to Raleigh to his paid off buddy politicians. So what’s next, big government is going to start stepping into the autonomy of small town governance and tell them how to run their incorporated town. Bug off! Keep your heavy handed government city crap out of our town!
Excuse me? Big government is the only reason he isn’t being allowed to exercise his right to use his property as he sees fit. If you didn’t want this land developed you should’ve bought it yourself.
And the mayor submitted a Press Release to the Town about it. I question the ethics of that. Mr.Couch seems to have worked very hard with the Town. Summerfield residents and Council members do not want people of a certain income to come live in the Town and that was made obvious at the many meetings. Snobs is one word. Racist? Ethical? Hmm. What is the future for this town..or have they shot themselves in the foot
The apartments issue is a smokescreen covering the fact that many citizens of Summerfield don’t want dirty upper-middle class people moving into their country club and are abusing government power to keep them out.
Maybe they don’t want slum apartments in their neighborhood, Greensboro is full of them hell i don’t live in Summerfield but work around Greensboro enough and see enough of the slum crap I would not want them in my neighborhood either. Go Summerfield Don’t become Greensboro or as some say Slumnsboro.
Agree. Summerfield should fight or you will end up with run down apartments like Greensboro.
What part of wanting the developer to build affordable townhomes, duplexes, quadplexes and carriage homes is snobby and racist? We do not want apartments ruining the rural nature of Summerfield. It has nothing to do with not wanting people of a certain income. We have people with a wide range of income levels living here. Let’s give people a path toward home ownership with smaller home types and not play the race card touting “affordable” apartments to increase the number of minorities. Furthermore, the apartment rent was slated to be 1,600-$1,800. Who can afford that, anyway? I’m sure there’s a way to come up a plan that works for everyone.
The government has a duty to work with property owners in helping them develop their land, but what the town of Summerfield is doing isn’t working with Mr. Couch, it’s stonewalling him. Mr. Couch has repeatedly scaled back his plans for his property but it’s never enough because the town isn’t negotiating with him in good faith, they’re giving him ultimatums and refusing to budge. I fully support his effort to remove his property from a town that is completely unwilling to work with him.
You have a right to give input if your neighbor wants to build something on their property, but that’s where your rights end. It’s his property and he has a right to develop it. If the people of Summerfield wanted the land to remain rural they should’ve bought it themselves.
But that’s not true. He cannot do whatever he wishes with his land, as I cannot. I can’t even build a bloody garage on my land without falling foul of a regulation – let alone a huge apartment complex that would irreversibly alter the charm, character and ambience of a whole town.
I don’t live in Summerfield, but Crouch sure does look like a rapacious and hostile vulture who couldn’t care less about the people of Summerfield.
Obviously either Representative Berger has either never read our UDO or has been misinformed by Couch and his team of Florida “Urbanists”. The Summerfield UDO very clearly allows for developers to build Duplexes, Triplexes, Quadplexes and even allows the four unit quadplex to count as a single unit for density purposes. The only reason a developer “cant” build housing priced for teachers or other service folks is profits. This developer could very easily build a nice community with OSM (open space mixed use) zoning but he will not make the profits he feels he needs. He could even build a higher density quadraplex complex if he had not bought property that used to be a granite mine and wont perk. This is 100% about profits and the State Legislature has no right to interfere. If any Congresspersons or Senators back this bill we will vote them out of office. If you doubt this look at the grass root support that has been developed against this issue. As a elected representative would you rather have that support behind you or against you?
Couch is clearly misleading legislators in Raleigh! No housing options in Summerfield for nurses, teachers and construction workers? Have they driven through Summerfield? TONS of houses on country roads, some neighborhoods and a manufactured home neighborhood. 1/3 of existing houses are worth less than $300,000.
Summerfield leaders actually rewrote development ordinances in 2021 to give Couch more options and smaller lots for more profit! The UDO allows quadplexes, duplexes, townhomes, retirement villages. HE WON’T BUILD THEM. Because 1000s of apartments in the middle of a small town make him more $$$$.
So now it’s the job of the General Assembly to help a rich developer pull 1000 acres from the middle of a town? What about roads, schools and the MESS Couch leaves behind when he goes back to his Montana ranch? Do small towns not matter anymore? We all have to be a big city with Walmart and apartments?
June 8, 2021, with NO Public Hearing, town council approved radical huge increases for higher density that would need commercial water–so the UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) INCLUDES apartment buildings, four four-plex to an acre, and much higher density! Tim Sessoms made that motion! Early this year council approved $100,000 engineering contract to have commercial water on Summerfield Road and I-150 from Sumemrfield Rd to I-73 that will cost the town millions of dollars. Those adjacent wells will be greatly harmed. They voted no to text amendment because 100-300 people were there — but still working hard for highest density and commercial water so Summerfield will be their Greensboro North. Emergency meeting 4pm Saturday was based on a reported conversation–and no legal basis for their 40 minute secret meeting. Mayor, council and Scott Whitaker are doing nothing to preserve “rural.” And county board voted unanimous for their request for millions of federal money for their approved high density and apartment buildings and commercial water for that area.
Why hasn’t Summerfield shown us the map? Town is saying it is in center of town but no map. I doubt NC will de-annex individual small scattered parcels of land. Will Kathy Rooney also want to de-annex her property contiguous with Couch? Town says Rooney and Doggett have no Conflict of Interest — but that is not true.
Town also signed $100,000 engineering contract to take commercial water up Summerfield Road and I-150 to I-73. If town wants “rural” why are they proceeding with multi-million commercial water project?
what has been the pattern of development in summerfield ? great grandparents acreage subdivided at death then subdivided again amongst progeny who now live in mobile homes on 1/4 acre lots ? piles of junked autos n appliances beside decaying tobacco barnes ? one or two ‘fast gas’ or ‘fast’ food’? subsistence gardens? or is it a pristine ‘gated community’?
You should come by! Summerfield is a mix. There are mostly country roads with houses of all shapes and sizes on lots or pieces of land. There are a handful of neighborhoods with houses on lots of about an acre or so. There are some duplexes. There is a manufactured home neighborhood. It’s not a pristine gated community but there aren’t many junked cars and there aren’t houses on 1/4 acre lots. That’s the housing density of big cities and this is not a big city. It’s a nice small town. There is a Food Lion and a few pharmacies. Coffee shop, some restaurants.
But it can’t handle double the population or thousands of apartment units in a rural town. Just like no small town can handle that. That’s the whole point. A greedy developer and legislators in Raleigh willing to overrule local elected officials and ruin small towns with over development and apartment complexes that don’t belong and can’t be supported.
De-annexation is easier than most understand.
https://summerfieldnews.com/f/summerfield—de-annexation-just-ask-and-it-could-be-done?fbclid=IwAR193B-1P7jKDdFpIaSQ-fs1JxE9ybkxODn7vQK2paPctn0QnWqqdrLpT-U