Sanford City Council Approves Annexations

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Sanford Council considers several
controversial developments
By Caleb M. Soptelean csoptelean@sanfordherald.com
Nov 21, 2024

Sanford City Council members had a lot to consider on Tuesday night when they heard about two annexations and five rezoning application
The council unanimously approved the annexations, which will bring 18.3 acres on Center Church Road and .68 of an acre at 2712 Pegg St. into the city. Both are located in the Tramway area. The former would be a 144-unit townhome community and the latter an Ace Hardware.

Then it was onto some more difficult considerations. Although the council didn’t make any decisions about rezonings on Nov. 19, they will do so in the near future after hearing recommendations from the planning board.
Planner Amy McNeill said staff has some concerns about the rezoning on Center Church Road, noting the plans call for a “very linear … townhome community.” She recommended a redesign with a mix of townhomes and
single-family residences. She noted the area was rural and on the perimeter of the city’s southern boundary. “There is a lot of traffic in that area,” Councilman Mark Akinosho said, “I have reservations because of the impact of traffic,” Councilman Charles Taylor said, “It’s a tight site,” project manager Nicholas Jackel said. “To do a mix would make it really difficult. We did six
eight months of revisions” with the planning department.
Councilwoman Jean Dabbs suggested single-level townhomes or twin houses that are connected to another house at the garage.
The project architect said that a traffic impact analysis could be a stipulation of any rezoning.

Porter’s Landing
Trevor Hansen, a land planner with Koontz Jones Design, presented an application by Moore Properties to rezone 33 acres from urban neighborhood to a conditional zoning district on Cemetery Road, Frazier Drive, Kendale Drive and West Raleigh Street, south of Main Street in Jonesboro Heights.
He noted that plans call for a mix of commercial and residential with an open space in the center of the property.
Plans call for 175 residential units.
The single-family homes would be 1,500 to 2,400 square feet and the townhomes would be 1,200 to 1,600 square
feet, he said. No size of the multi-family units was available, but Hansen said they would have one to three bedrooms.
Hansen said a three-story building that would be located near the entrance to the Porter’s Landing off Main Street would have restaurant and office space. Traffic calming devices would be installed, he said “I like the design,” Akinosho said. “Are local people able to afford these kind of houses
Mayor Rebecca Wyhof Salmon told Akinosho that the council couldn’t ask about the cost of the homes.
“I have a big concern about the traffic. I like the design concept,” Dabbs said
“I compliment you for going above and beyond on the landscaping,” Councilwoman Linda Rhodes said.

I-685 townhomes?
Mark Lyczkowski presented a proposal to rezone three parcels totaling 12.8 acres on the northwest side of the city off Route 421 at Glenwood Drive, north of Cool Springs Road, from suburban neighborhood to a condition
zoning district.
He wants to build an undetermined number of townhomes and said building single-family homes next to the future Interstate 685 “doesn’t seem as feasible.”
He noted that there would be a setback of at least 30 feet from Route 421 with a berm.
Lyczkowski believes employees of a future Toyota plant would drive 35 to 40 minutes to live in the townhomes. Five men spoke against the rezoning.
Taylor Melton said it would result in more traffic and speed in the neighborhood on Glenwood and Nixon drive a community that is “one-way in, one-way out.”
Chris Patterson, who lives on Forest Glen Drive off Nixon Drive, noted that Big Buffalo Creek floods the area. He said “the amount of water that would push back is unreal.” He said the water level can go from 3 to 13 inches in a
few hours when it rains.
Mike Large, who lives on Nixon Drive, suggested that the developer build single-family homes “to keep the integrity of our neighborhood.”

Wicker Street store?
Riana Smith of Smith Boyers of Raleigh presented a rezoning of 3.5 acres from suburban neighborhood to light commercial and office at Wicker Street (Route 42) and South Franklin Drive on the west side of Sanford
She said a rezoning to C1 would likely result in a 10,000- or 11,000-square foot store.
David Jones, who said he lives a quarter-mile away from where the store would be built, urged the council and planning board to use “common sense.”
Noting that Jason Gilmore Joyner and Jan Joyner Ritchie recently purchased the property, Jones said that denying the rezoning would not be a “taking.” However, “if you allow it, it’s a taking in regard to all the people around it.”
Jones said the neighborhood is dominated by single-family homes. In addition, Route 42 and South Franklin Drive is a “very dangerous intersection. There are numerous accidents that happen there every year.”
Michael Davenport noted that a church and daycare are located across the street from the site, and a middle school is in the area. He opposed the rezoning.

Ace Hardware
The only seemingly non-controversial rezoning was one at 2712 Pegg St. It would be rezoned from residential restricted to the Tramway South Apartments Conditional Zoning District so that an Ace Hardware store could be built.