7 minute read
Summerfi eld seeks ‘simplifi ed’ land use plan
Summerfi eld council seeking ‘simplifi ed’ land use plan
The council balked at paying Piedmont Triad Regional Council more money to keep working on the development guide
Advertisement
by CHRIS BURRITT
SUMMERFIELD – After drawing upon the expertise of the Piedmont Triad Regional Council (PTRC) for nearly two years, Summerfield Town Council decided to proceed with the development of the town’s land use plan on its own.
At the urging of Mayor Pro Tem Lynne Williams DeVaney and council member Jeff Davis, the council decided last week to put a steering committee in charge of finalizing the land use plan. Until now, the committee and PTRC have worked together on a draft plan, essentially a blueprint designating areas for residential and commercial growth, open space, parks and other development in Summerfield through 2040.
The draft produced by PTRC last year, drawn partly from residents’ feedback in informational meetings and a survey, runs for 72 pages. It consists of photographs, charts and a wide breadth of information that goes beyond the designation of areas for different types of development and preservation. For instance, topics in the draft range from soil types to endangered species to Summerfield’s poverty rate.
Summerfield Merchants Association (SMA) supports our local businesses and community. To join or for more info, email info@summerfieldmerchant.com or visit www.summerfieldmerchant.com or
Facebook.com/SummerfieldMerchantsAssociation
2023 SMA officers (L to R) Karen Kimrey, vice-president; Mitzi Dawson, secretary; Patti Stokes, president; and Cyndi Brown, treasurer, gathered with past SMA presidents Rod Brown (second from right), Jeff Bercaw (far right) and Terry Helms (back row) at the SMA’s Christmas party in December. On behalf of our past and present officers and all of our members, we look forward to serving the Summerfield community in 2023!
Join us at our next meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 6:30 p.m. To RSVP, email info@summerfieldmerchant.com
“I don’t think we need any more burdensome documents,” DeVaney said during the council’s meeting Jan. 10.
Town Manager Scott Whitaker informed the council that PTRC was asking for an additional fee not to exceed $6,750 to proceed with the development of the plan.
Instead, the council deferred to Davis and DeVaney, who suggested moving ahead without PTRC’s assistance to create what Davis said would be “a modified, simplified version” of the current draft.
“I believe we can simplify this and not have to spend this money, at least currently,” Davis said. Later, the town may engage PTRC to help nalize mapping and other technical aspects of the plan, according to DeVaney.
In December 2020, the council approved hiring PTRC at a cost not to exceed $64,800 to oversee the creation of the plan. Based in Kernersville, the regional planning agency collaborated with the steering committee to produce a draft of the plan last year. The committee consists of town staff, council and Planning Board members and other residents.
A joint meeting of Town Council and the Planning Board last September resulted in the removal of language about subsidized housing. The decision reflected the skeptical reaction of some council and board members to references in the plan recommending denser, more affordable housing in Summerfield.
The meeting also resulted in a recommendation for further deliberations on contentious topics such as higher-density housing and the extension of water and sewer services to Summerfield.
A meeting of the steering committee and PTRC last month didn’t turn out as DeVaney had hoped. She said she expected a working session during which the committee and the agency would collaborate on changes to the plan.
Instead, DeVaney said, “all we did was listen to them (PTRC) tell us what their changes were.”
In an interview after last week’s council meeting, Davis said he envisions Summerfield adopting a land use plan similar to the one adopted by Oak Ridge in 2016. It consists of two pages – the first showing a map of recommended land uses and the second laying out the plan’s vision statement and overarching goals, objectives and policies.
Once the steering committee completes its draft, Whitaker said the document will go to the Planning Board for review and a public hearing to gather residents’ feedback. From there, it will go to the council for discussion and another public hearing before final approval.
Hornik disagreed, telling the council he doesn’t think “anybody on the Planning Board has a direct conflict of interest in reviewing and making a recommendation to this board on the Couch matter. They’ve got a duty, an obligation to vote on the matter, as you do.”
The differing views signal what may be a contentious public hearing during the Planning Board meeting next Thursday, Jan. 26.
For a third time, Couch is proposing a text amendment to Summerfield’s development rules that would allow him to create a new zoning district that would accommodate higher-density residential development. He’s proposing to bring in water and sewer services to his project from Greensboro or an adjoining municipality.
The conflicts-of-interest charges target Planning Board members Rooney and Doggett, who voted last March to recommend the Town Council approve Couch’s text amendment request. The next month, John Doggett was the only council member to vote for the text amendment.
Rooney and her husband, Douglas Canavello, live on property that abuts Couch’s land on Pleasant Ridge Road. The couple put ownership of a tract into a limited liability company (LLC), leading to assertions by Wraight and others that the couple is preparing for the eventual sale of their property, presumably at a higher price if Couch wins approval of higher-density development.
Rooney rebuffed the claims, saying in an email earlier this week that she and her husband put all of their real estate in Greensboro, New Orleans and Summerfield, except for their home, in LLCs for liability and other reasons.
“We acquired the property surrounding our home to control development around us and maintain our rural lifestyle,” Rooney said. “Summerfield is developing and will continue to develop. I expect my property to increase in value over the years no matter what my neighbors do.”
Rooney noted that Couch’s proposed text amendment would apply to tracts of at least 750 acres. The amendment “does not apply to my property,” she said. “I have no conflict of interest.”
During last week’s council meeting, Dunham said the Doggett family owns 1,000 acres. In an interview earlier this week, Clark Doggett said his immediate family actually owns about 200 acres, including about 167 acres owned by himself and his wife, Jane. Three of their children live on the property off of Scalesville Road.
As seventh-generation owners, Doggett said his family doesn’t plan to sell their land regardless of how Couch’s development plans turn out.
SCHOOL BOARD REJECTS NOMINEE
...continued from p. 3
Create the perfect custom outdoor living space
custom decks fire pits & fireplaces outdoor kitchens patios ● sunrooms screened porches outdoor shelters hardscapes stamped concrete
sostriad.com | 336.530.5567
Logan explained he lived in Stokesdale when he was raising his children, who attended Stokesdale Elementary, Northwest Guilford Middle and High schools. He now lives in an unincorporated area of the county near Northwest High School.
As a teacher of automotive repair at Southern Guilford High School, Logan said he favors the expansion of vocational training that enables students who don’t plan to attend college to find jobs after graduation.
He also said he disagreed with the school board’s decisions late last year to leave unchanged the availability of two sexually explicit books at Northern Guilford High School. He described as “straight-up porn” the page he read from one of the books, “Life is Funny.”
While applauding efforts last year that raised about $500,000 to refurbish 23 mobile classrooms at Northwest High School, Logan said Guilford County Schools should have replaced the trailers “years ago with brick and mortar.”
During the school board’s meeting earlier this month, some parents expressed concerns about whether Logan would support efforts to provide equal opportunities to students identifying themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
“Members of the board need to affirm every child regardless of their multiple identities actively and I don’t think that’s the case for Mr. Logan,” said Jennifer Shaw, a parent of children who graduated from GCS schools.
“From my viewpoint, the Democrats don’t want to put him on the board because he’s a strong, outspoken conservative,” Linda Welborn, a Republican representing District 4, said in an interview earlier this week.
2 20230 Be on the lookout...
