For years and years, two different factions of Summerfield have been battling over the future of the town, and that fight will come to a head on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
That’s when the Summerfield Town Council is expected to essentially decide the future of a large residential project proposed by Summerfield developer David Couch.
Two years ago, Couch officially proposed an earlier version of the project, the Villages of Summerfield Farms. The project has become a focal point in the battle between those in Summerfield who welcome development and consider growth inevitable, and those who moved to Summerfield because they wanted to be far away from apartment complexes and residential developments of greater density.
Couch’s project has gone through a number of revisions – most recently reducing the number of apartments planned – and a special Summerfield Town Council meeting has been called for Feb. 21. The council often meets in a small community center. However, due to the intense interest in this project, this meeting will be held at the First Baptist Church on Scalesville Road in Summerfield.
After the announcement of the meeting, signs regarding the potential development began popping up around town – and a very lively discussion is now expected to take place in the church on Feb. 21.
There are a lot of questions that may be addressed at the meeting. One big one is which municipal water system could provide water service to the site. Guilford County government recently handed out millions in federal relief dollars to small towns in the county for water infrastructure, but Summerfield wasn’t on that list.
A note posted on the Town of Summerfield’s website states that the decision regarding the development will not be made without elected leadership weighing input from the community – which is exactly what they can expect at the meeting.
“Mr. Couch’s proposal generated a lot of community reaction,” the statement on Summerfield’s website reads. “Initially, the proposal involved Summerfield, Guilford County, and Greensboro, although the concept has evolved and land use decisions are the critical piece before this project could advance. Such decisions will not be made apart from Summerfield citizen input. Town hall has shared information from the beginning and it is understood that residents are passionate about how our desirable town grows.”
The current Town Council, when elected, was considered to be very pro-development. However, there’s been a huge deal of push back from a large number of town residents – and the mayor and several councilmembers will face reelection later this year.
The “pushback” is from the same left-wing slugs from Henson Farms and Henson Forest and Polo Farms. They couldn’t make it in Irving Park in Greensboro, so they move out here to infect our town. The citizens of long standing here never wanted those people in here to begin with, as they contribute nothing other than tax revenue which has built what? Once we lost our Ferrari dealership this place has gone to hell, (sarc). Go David Couch, if they don’t approve your housing development then let’s have a long gun shooting range, mud pit for Monster Truck racing and put in a couple dozen chicken houses on the northwestern Summerfield side of the property so your detractors can learn about country living, since you already have agricultural use of your land. You want to find out what the “people” think, go ask the committee down at the Summerfield Feed Mill.
I absolutely love what you propose he do. This would be so awesome and exactly what I’d love to see more of. The reason I moved to Summerfield is for the rural aspect. I hope he does this instead of the apartment crap. I love waking to the sound of roosters in my neighborhood now. The more of this the better. Good idea!
Scott, You sure got quite a few details wrong in this article.
We don’t want these apartments. They may look good at first but you need to think of the future. Once Couch has built these he won’t care what happens. Apartments change management companies like we change our underwear. Apartments go into disrepair. Large dumpsters will bring pest problems and those spread to neighboring homes. Like roaches, mice and rats. We also already have enough issues with republic services trash pickup. Now you want to add apartments and more homes. They can hardly handle the area as it is.
Apartments 101: You raise the money and contract to build. You manage yourself, or hire management to do so. You charge as much as you can until you reach resistance. Over years, you depreciate the property as tax deduction, as quickly as the law will allow. Then you sell the property to someone else; while churning your sale price into an equal or more expensive rental property. The new owners repeat the process – new owners are the mostly likely to reduce maintenance to the point of resistance. You can see this M.O. well, in older motels & hotels.
Municipalities can zone out many things, such as apartments, billboards, fast food restaurants, many other things.
If Couch is successful, Summerfield as we know it is gone. Another developer bought 47 acres of land in Summerfield. He must be licking his chops waiting for the outcome of the Feb 21 meeting. Fight, fight, fight Couch and developers in general. You will not regret it. Couch’s development is a lose, lose proposition for the residents of Summerfield.
Yes, interesting how they wanted to move to these developments and now they are here they don’t want any more development. Maybe build a wall around Summerfield so no one else can move in.
Who is “they” exactly? I don’t think “they” are the only ones opposing his garbage.
If that damn Couch gets his development, I want the speed limit on Lake Brandt Road dropped to 35 MPH from Plainfield Road to 150. I also want a sidewalk from Plainfield Road to 150 and from 150 and LBR to the Food Lion on 220 so as to be able to walk to the grocery store, the ABC and the restaurants and businesses that are around the corner, rather than having to get in the damn car to go a half mile. That’s not a big ask. If Oak Ridge can do it we can.
Moved in an existing house in Summerfield well over a decade ago. Came here for a reason. Didn’t want a crowded town with lots of traffic, commercial business etc. I don’t care who the people planning to move to new housing are or what they look like or how much money they make. It’s not about that and tired of the attempt to pin those opposing as racist or elitist. . Just don’t want more people.I like this place just the way it is. Why can’t Couch get that through his head?
There are many people who enjoy the power of telling you what to do.
Believe it or not, you don’t have a constitutional right to tell your neighbors what they can and can’t do with their property. If you wanted Summerfield to stay rural you should’ve bought the land yourself. Frankly this whole thing reeks of a bunch of home owners wanting big government to step in and protect their precious property values from any competition.
You have a point, but many ignore facts to further their own end.