Asheboro approves rezoning for nearly 500-unit development

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Council approved another step toward the development of a 400-plus unit development just to the north of the North Carolina Zoo

At its July regular business meeting last week, the council held a public hearing for a request to amend an existing Low-Density Residential Conditional Zoning District encompassing approximately 235 acres of property located at the intersection of Old Cox Road and Old Humble Miss Road for a residential planned development.

The current plan for the development, submitted by Southeastern Site Acquisitions, proposes 464 dwellings with 312 of them being single-family attached dwellings and 152 being attached townhouse style dwellings, all being two-stories or less.

“This is not the developer’s first rodeo,” said attorney Robert Wilhoit, who represented the applicant. “People say that they’re worried about this, but the two main principals of this developer are both from Randolph County. These are not Charlotte people, these are not big-city people. They wish to take this property and transform it into a residential community in a really top-notch way.”

The initial rezoning was previously approved two years prior, but the applicants are proposing various changes to the current conditions placed upon the property now that plans have started to become more fleshed out.

“This property has already been rezoned, we’re asking that some of the conditions be changed and our plan be accepted because we’ve modified it and we have over 151 acres of open space,” Wilhoit said. “This property has been reformulated. It was previously all annexed by the city and rezoned two years ago. This property has over 64% open space while the previous property was about 39%. This accomplishes a lot.”

The development is also considered low-density based on N.C. Department of Environmental Quality standards and with the expansion of open space, no additional permanent stormwater control measures are needed.

In addition, the plan also has a 30-foot street yard buffer along both Old Cox Road and Old Humble Mills Road and parking wise, the plan indicates that all single-family dwellings will have a two-vehicle garage in addition to two driveway spaces and all townhome dwellings will have a garage for at least one vehicle in addition to one driveway space.

“We have seen increased interest in this area with a lot of economic development announcements and this area has been seeing a good bit of growth due to that,” said John Evans, community development director.

While there were some concerns raised about the current utility capacity in the area in comparison to the projected size of the development, the developers assured that that wouldn’t be a problem due to the timeline for the project.

“We have no desire to build this all at once, trust me,” said Tom Flanagan of Southeastern Site Acquisitions. “Once we pick a builder partner, we will work with them to develop the project in an economic and reasonable growth period. I can’t tell you two years and I can’t tell you 10. What I can tell you is that just the construction part of the earth movement and all the utilities is probably a three-year build project before a house is even started.”

Following the hearing, the council unanimously approved the rezoning amendment.

“This is a zoning hearing to determine whether or not the plan, the layout is acceptable with X conditions to fit our wants, needs and desires,” mayor pro tem Walker Moffitt said. “Any of the mechanics of the matter come afterwards. I hope that any concerns at least have some comfort that the permitting process will effectively work and have the desired outcome.”

The Asheboro City Council will next meet Aug. 7.