Youth Sync

welcome to ... Youth Sync A regular section in the Northwest Observer focused on our local youth and the adults who positively impact them.

Healthy Smiles. Happy Patients.

Quality dental care for the entire family!

Wishing our patients and their families a wonderful holiday season!

TWO LOCATIONS 6161-A Lake Brandt Rd. ● 336.643.1440 | 7092 Summerfield Rd., Ste. C ● 336.441.8055

‘Race Against Hunger’ makes everyone a winner

Photo courtesy of Guilford Backpack Ministry Beth Waterfi eld (center of photo, holding check, on the left), a volunteer with Guilford Backpack Ministry, accepts a check for $3,800 (plus 400 pounds of food) from Northern Guilford High School PTSA President Kelly Reis (holding check, on the right) with other Backpack Ministry volunteers, PTSA volunteers and Oak Ridge United Methodist Church Pastor Mike Carr (far right) also shown in photo. The check represents proceeds from the PTSA’s “Race Against Hunger,” a 5K and 1-mile fun run held at the high school on Oct. 23. Anyone wishing to donate to Guilford Backpack Ministry may do so online at https://backpackministry.wixsite.com/backpacks or text “ORUMC Backpack” to 73256.

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PUBLIC HEARINGS

 5 0 to approve the rezoning of 3.75 of nearly 44 acres owned by Corey and Erin Petty at 6317 U.S. 158. Rezoning the property from agricultural (AG) to general-purpose residential zoning (RS) will allow the couple to create three lots for their relatives to build homes.

Adjacent property owner Mike Smith asked for a description of the houses planned by the family. After learning they would be single-family homes, Smith said he was satisfied with the plans.  5 0 to approve the rezoning of 2.8 acres on N.C. 150 that contains a Quonset hut, from conditional use business (CU-LB) to conditional zoning business use (CZ-BN).

In July, property owner Lisa Waynick withdrew her initial rezoning request after the town’s Planning Board objected to a wide range of potential commercial uses allowed in the rezoning she was seeking. In response, Waynick’s new application eliminated numerous permitted uses such as a gun or paintball shooting range, a cocktail lounge, a pool hall, a crematorium and a fortune teller.

During a public hearing, Gail Dunham objected to business usage of the property in what she described as a residential area. The tract sits next to Revolution Academy on N.C. 150 and is located near the Henson Farms subdivision, where Dunham lives, and some other houses.

“We have no idea what they’re going to build,” she said.

In response, David Gilchrist, Waynick’s husband, said “we want the property to be used for the highest and best use.”

DeVaney asked whether the Quonset hut will remain in place, and Waynick answered she hopes a buyer would incorporate the building in development of the property.

Preserving the circa 1940s metal structure isn’t required by town regulations, Whitaker noted. Scenic corridor text amendment

 5 0 to amend the town’s unified development ordinance (UDO) related to scenic corridor area overlay districts intended to preserve trees along roads through town. The rules also require development guarding against “visual clutter” marring the rural character of roadways.

The corridor extends 1,500 feet from either side of the right of ways of the roads. The corridor along U.S. 220 is so wide that it stretches as far as Summerfield Road, creating unintended consequences for some property owners who live inside of the corridor, Whitaker said.

As an example, the UDO as written prevents Summerfield Fire District from using metal in construction of a vehicle-repair building at Station 9 at 7400 Summerfield Road – even though the fire station isn’t visible from U.S. 220.

Similarly, town staff earlier rejected the request by a Rhondan Road homeowner to build a metal carport, according to Brad Rentz, the town’s planning manager.

Amending the UDO removed such unintended consequences.

The council discussed and deferred until later other possible amendments to the scenic corridor section of the UDO, including the possibility of narrowing the width of the corridor from 1,500 feet to 750 feet on either side of the right of ways.

In another example, a regulation states that “all existing trees (and) vegetation” in the corridor “shall be preserved.”

By one interpretation, a property owner couldn’t cut down a single tree, putting what Summerfield landowner David Couch described as “a slippery slope” that may represent the taking of a property by government.

Town Attorney Bob Hornik offered a similar assessment, as did property owners Dwayne Crawford, Jane Doggett and Doggett’s daughter, Beth Kaplan.

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“Who is going to tell me I can’t cut my tree down?” Doggett asked during a public hearing.

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“If I can’t remove a tree, I can’t grade the property,” Couch said. “If I can’t grade the property, I can’t build a building.”

MANAGER’S REPORT

A&Y (Atlantic and Yadkin) Greenway 40 DEC. 15, 2022 - JAN. 4, 2023 The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996 update. Whitaker told the council he’s displeased with the performance

of Stewart, the design and planning firm hired by Summerfield to plan the southern route of the A&Y Greenway in town.

“We’ve really struggled with Stewart,” said Whitaker, explaining the departure of two project managers at the firm contributed to “a lull” in the project.

Whitaker said he wants to explore terminating the town’s contract, totaling $389,953, with Stewart and hire another firm “to pick up the pieces and carry the ball across the finish line.”

CLOSED SESSION

The council entered a closed session to discuss legal matters, including negotiations to buy real estate. After returning to open session, the council took no action.

COUNCIL BUSINESS

Laughlin school. Mayor Sessoms said he’s continuing to negotiate on behalf of Summerfield to buy the historic Laughlin school. The Summerfield Road property is now the location of the Laughlin Professional Development Center slated for closing by Guilford County Schools. Sessoms didn’t elaborate on talks with county officials. Municipal water system. Whitaker described as unpromising his discussions with officials in Greensboro, Rockingham County and Reidsville about supplying water for a possible municipal water system in Summerfield. (See related article on FC of this issue.) Community survey. DeVaney said some residents have asked her whether the town is the sponsor of a community survey seeking residents’ views about development in Summerfield. The “Let’s Talk Summerfield” mailing was not sponsored by the town; it is for the Villages of Summerfield, the development that David Couch is planning for his 973 acres spanning town, and was an initiative of Couch’s marketing team.

With no further comments, the meeting was adjourned at 10:35 p.m.