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If I told you this column is about Greensboro developers trying to get residential property rezoned for office buildings and parking garages, you’d probably roll your eyes and say, “Well, they’re at it again!”

I can’t blame you. My eyes often glaze over when zoning is the topic. It’s not a sexy subject — unless it affects your neighborhood.

So, in the interest of full disclosure, let it be noted that I live in northwest Greensboro in the area in question. The rezoning would affect me, but it would affect you, too. Why? Because irresponsible development, whether it’s in my neighborhood or yours, diminishes the entire city.

At issue is land near the intersection of North Elm Street and West Cornwallis Drive. You probably read about it in last Sunday’s News & Record in a story by Amanda Lehmert.

Developers, operating under the name Cornwallis Elm LLC, bought four single-family houses, including one with a rich architectural history. They plan to demolish the houses and erect two office buildings and two parking garages.

If, of course, they can persuade city officials to rezone the property for commercial use. But more about that in a minute.

Meanwhile, what’s wrong with the developers’ plan? Plenty. It amounts to commercialism creeping into the residential neighborhood of Irving Park. Not commercialism on the edge, mind you, but smack into the neighborhood.

The proposed two-story buildings would be medical offices. They would obviously attract patients whose cars would pour into North Elm Street and Cornwallis Drive — both already heavily traveled arteries going to and from downtown.

Among the houses slated for demolition, moreover, is the “Commencement House.” It was designed by Greensboro architect Edward Loewenstein and 23 Woman’s College students in 1957, the culmination of a yearlong project to design and oversee construction of a modern house. Preservationists are angry.

“Not only was the house innovative, but to have 23 women in the 1950s doing this kind of work was just unheard of,” Jane Levy, the architect’s daughter, told the News & Record. Levy and her family live near the house.

Last Monday afternoon, a large crowd from our area showed up at the Greensboro Zoning Commission to protest the developers’ rezoning request. For me, it was a first. 

If you’re not familiar with the zoning process, here’s how it works: The City Council appoints members of the zoning commission, who approve or disapprove zoning proposals. The final decision, however, is made by the Greensboro City Council.

Serving on the City Council are several developers, including Robbie Perkins.

Perkins, you’ll recall, was previously involved in a controversial attempt to rezone property and build a Walgreen’s drugstore at the congested corner of Cornwallis and Lawndale Drive. Faced with protests, developers finally dropped the idea. 

At Monday’s meeting Henry Isaacson, the developers’ attorney, asked for a continuance to let developers explain their plan to more neighborhood groups. The zoning commission granted a 30-day continuance.

Continuances are a familiar tactic by developers and their attorneys. The idea is to drag out a case and wear down neighborhood protesters. In time, protesters grow tired of driving downtown, finding a parking place near the Melvin Municipal Office Building where the commission and City Council meet, only to be told the topic has been postponed once again.

Unless, of course, the neighborhood gets organized, hires a lawyer (Don Vaughan is the residents’ attorney) and continues to show up at meetings. They’re also a reminder to elected city officials that citizens have a powerful weapon, too, at election time: the ballot box.

As the meeting unfolded Monday afternoon, I thought about other neighborhoods where people couldn’t afford to hire a lawyer, couldn’t get off work to attend afternoon zoning meetings, didn’t know how to organize protests. And I thought of other rezoned areas gone wrong.   

I am fully aware that developers belong to an honorable profession and that Greensboro needs development to grow and prosper. But it must be responsible development. The North Elm-Cornwallis Drive project does not fit that description.

Rosemary Roberts writes a Friday column. E-mail: rmroberts@triad.rr.com.