What’s wrong with this proposal?
- New Garden Road had been the victim of rampant development from one end to the other. Piece by piece, it is becoming everything that we didn’t want when we purchased homes in this area.
- Both sides of this section of New Garden Road are zoned residential from Will Doskey Road to Brassfield road. This is an island of residential sanity in a sea of random commercial “developments.”
- Traffic on New Garden Road is bad and getting worse. There have been at least five bad accidents at New Garden and Timberoak. More commercial development will lead to more traffic and problems with cars entering and leaving the road.
- There is an abundance of vacant buildings and vacant commercially-zoned property on the street already.
- There is no shortage of facilities available in the immediate area at low- or no-cost for meetings and parties – ten within ten minutes. The neighborhood doesn’t need this.
- Noise and disruptions. There will be large parties with alcohol served and loud music late into the night. In a residential neighborhood??
- Commercial development and all it brings with it will reduce the quality of life in our neighborhood and impair property values. In the words of the developer’s attorney,
“…We think that the nature of that area has changed. We don’t think that single-family detached dwellings are the future of this section of New Garden Road. If you look at the new projects, they are CD-RM8, CD-RM5, CD-RM12. That’s what we think’s happening along New Garden and we think this would be a good fit…”
The nature of the area is under attack. And it happens one piece at a time. A commercially-zoned development in the middle of this remaining stretch of residential New Garden Road will be used as evidence of the “changing nature” of the area to rezone other properties, until our neighborhood is a commercial strip, like so many other streets in Greensboro, from one end to the other. What’s next, a McDonalds?
Even the Zoning Commission's own staff stated repeatedly in their report to the commission that this is a bad idea. Some of their observations:
- The proposed ... zoning would allow land uses that are incompatible with the general character of the area.
- The proposed CD-LB zoning designation would allow uses that are not compatible with the existing adjacent residential neighborhood and would reinforce the negative trend of converting residential uses to commercial uses.
- There is an events center directly across the street from the subject site and the Applicant has not demonstrated the need for additional events centers in the vicinity.
- By approving this request, the City may not be able to ensure protection of the residential character of the neighborhood.
- Staff has determined that disrupting the residential character of a stable and well established neighborhood with the intrusion of poorly located commercial uses is against the intent and purpose of the Zoning Code. This may set a precedent for additional conversions of residential properties to commercial uses along the entire length of New Garden Road.
- Staff has therefore determined that this request does not implement enough measures to protect neighborhoods from potential negative impacts of commercial projects that are inconsistent with the neighborhood’s livability, architectural and historical character.
- Staff has made a determination that this request is inconsistent with the intent and purpose of the zoning code and the Comprehensive Plan (Connections 2025).
- Staff is also of the opinion that the request is not compatible with the existing development and trend in the surrounding area.
Read the complete report here.
What else is there to say?? Yet the Zoning Commission approved the request 5-3 (one vote short of an outright approval). But we have another chance to make the voice of reason heard before the City Council.
What can you do???
Take control of your home and your future!
- If you haven’t signed the letter to the planning commission or the one to the City Council expressing your opposition to the rezoning of our residential neighborhood, go to our Contact Us page and sign up there. You can put yourself on an EMail list to get updates on our progress and any changes in the meeting schedules. Have all the adults in your household sign up.
- Get your neighbors to sign up.
- Write a letter to each member of the City Council expressing your opposition to the rezoning. EMail is good. US Mail is better. Write soon, as the letters need to be received by the Council members by Saturday, September 13 (addresses at the bottom of this page for your convenience).
- Come to the public hearing on Tuesday, September 16, at 5:30 in the Council Chamber of the Melvin Municipal Office Building, 300 West Washington Street (map) to show your opposition to the rezoning. Bring your neighbors. Come early, as we need to fill the room with our neighbors who want to keep our neighborhood intact. We have speakers lined up. If you have ideas you think should be presented, contact us at info@friendsofnewgarden.org.
- Great news! Thanks to everyone's efforts, the rezoning application has been withdrawn!! But we need to remain vigilant, as the event center could still be built under a Special Use Permit. And we need to keep an eye on other residential property on New Garden Road.
- Enjoy all that our neighborhood has to offer, and work together to keep it that way.
Greensboro City Council
YVONNE J. JOHNSON (Mayor)
P.O. Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402-3136 373-2396
(home) 375-5173
(City business) 253-7012
FAX 574-4003
EMAIL: yvonne.johnson@greensboro-nc.gov
SANDRA ANDERSON GROAT (Mayor Pro Tem) (At Large)
412 Arlington Street, Greensboro, NC 27406
(business) 273-9066
(home) 282-9047
FAX 273-5451
EMAIL: sandra.anderson@greensboro-nc.gov
ROBBIE PERKINS (At Large)
1612 St. Andrews Rd., Greensboro, NC 27408
1001 W. Friendly Ave., Suite 601, Greensboro, NC 27401
(business) 358-3219
FAX 373-0260
EMAIL: robbie.perkins@greensboro-nc.gov
MARY C. RAKESTRAW (At Large)
P.O. Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402-3136
101 East Avondale Drive, Greensboro, NC 27403
(home) 852-8639
(voice mail) 373-2987
FAX 574-4003
EMAIL: mary.rakestraw@greensboro-nc.gov
T. DIANNE BELLAMY-SMALL (District 1)
P.O. Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402-3136
3211 Delmonte Drive, Greensboro, NC 27406
(voice mail) 373-2286
FAX 574-4003
EMAIL: bellamy.small@greensboro-nc.gov
GOLDIE WELLS (District 2)
4203 Belfield Drive, Greensboro, NC 27405-6309
(home) 621-0634
Voice Mailbox 373-2391
FAX 375-1675
EMAIL: goldie.wells@greensboro-nc.gov
ZACK MATHENY (District 3)
P.O. Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402-3136
324 W. Wendover Ave., Suite 301, Greensboro, NC 27408
(business) 272-0523
(voice mail) 373-4638
FAX 574-4003
EMAIL: zack.matheny@greensboro-nc.gov
MIKE BARBER (District 4)
807 Greenwood Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410
(home) 852-0195
1101 W. Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27403
(business) 273-4884
FAX 273-4874
EMAIL: mike.barber@greensboro-nc.gov
TRUDY WADE(District 5)
P.O. Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402-3136
1 Creswell Court, Greensboro, NC 27407
(home) 323-6480
703 W. Main St., Jamestown, NC (business) 454-3171
(voice mail) 373-3688
FAX 454-2865
EMAIL: trudy.wade@greensboro-nc.gov
