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GREENSBORO — An exclusive golf-course community in northern Guilford County got the go-ahead Wednesday after a strident hearing that attracted large numbers of both supporters and foes.

The Guilford County Planning Board voted 5-2 for a zoning change allowing the 691-acre project, most of which is in Guilford County.

Part of the proposed Patriot's Landing also adjoins the new Haw River State Park, which lent an edge of controversy to the 775-unit development because state officials had hoped to buy the same land for the fledgling park.

But given that the land is likely to be developed, Patriot's Landing will be so carefully designed that it will make an excellent neighbor to the park and existing residents of the area, said Greensboro attorney Henry Isaacson, representing would-be developer Bluegreen Communities.

Its "unified" design with large amounts of open space is far superior to what could result if the land were developed in smaller parcels by numerous builders in an uncoordinated way, he said.

"That would surely be nothing more than hodgepodge development," Isaacson said. "I submit this is much better and smarter development for Guilford County."

But critics said the choice was not between competing styles of development; it was between leaving the land alone as part of a state park or permitting an upscale development to alter the landscape forever and to pollute the river.

"The state park will do infinitely more for Guilford County ecologically and economically than this or any subdivision," said Jack Jezorek, a member of the county open-space committee who said he spoke for himself, not the group.

The state park system had been eyeing the same land for inclusion in the park, but Bluegreen made deals with the land owners first.

The hearing drew an audience of more than 150, roughly two-thirds opposing the proposed development.

Bluegreen has offered to give the park more than 100 acres of the tract, much of it either wetlands or in the flood plain.

Park officials still hope to buy an additional 50 acres, but Bluegreen wants $6 million for it.

The two will continue negotiations, Isaacson said.

Several people living near the proposed development told the board they support it because it seems well-designed and better than other types of potential development.

One critic raised concerns about Bluegreen's environmental track record on similar projects in the Haw watershed.

The company had been careless and caused major pollution of a Haw tributary by not controlling runoff from one of its golfing communities in Chatham County, said Elaine Chiosso of the Haw River Assembly river-monitoring group.

Bluegreen consultants said the mistake was a one-time event that it worked hard to correct and prevent in future developments.

Board Chairman Larry Ray Proctor who voted for the zoning change, said Bluegreen's proposal is better planned and much higher in quality than many projects the board reviews.

Fellow board member W.H. Craft, who voted against Patriot's Landing, said incessant development of Guilford's dwindling natural places could turn it into "something like northern New Jersey in 50 years."

Contact Taft Wireback at 373-7100 or twireback@news-record.com