Possible Summerfield de-annexation still up in the air

SUMMERFIELD – Suspense over the possible de-annexation of landowner David Couch’s 973 acres in Summerfield may drag on until next month.

As the state House of Representatives and the Senate continue to debate the new state budget and other issues, the legislative session “will likely go into August,” said Lauren Horsch, a spokeswoman for state Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger.

“There is no update on any potential legislation related to Summerfield,” Horsch said in an email earlier this week.

Town leaders haven’t gotten an update from Berger or resumed early talks with Couch to resolve differences despite the “town’s continued commitment to negotiate,” Summerfield Mayor Tim Sessoms said in an interview earlier this week. Couch, owner of Summerfield Farms, declined to comment on the matter.

Berger is a possible sponsor of de-annexation legislation after Couch sought the lawmaker’s support to de-annex his Summerfield property earlier this year.

Couch pursued the legislative route after the Town Council twice denied his request for an amendment to the town’s development rules to create a new zoning district. That would be the first step in winning the town’s approval to build Summerfield’s first apartments. The Town Council opposes the developer’s de-annexation request.

If Couch’s property were de-annexed, it would fall under the jurisdiction of Guilford County, which allows construction of apartments in some zoning districts. www.nwobserver.com

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