Council approves North Elm rezoning
GREENSBORO — Fourteen townhomes will be built along North Elm Street, after council members approved a controversial rezoning Tuesday night.
The Greensboro City Council allowed the rezoning in a 6-1 vote over concerns from neighbors who filed a protest petition.
“This development works in this neighborhood,” said Councilman Zack Matheny, who lives in the area. “I think it would actually increase the attractiveness of that area.”
Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellamy-Small voted no. Councilwoman Nancy Vaughan abstained from the vote because her husband represented opponents in the case. Councilman Robbie Perkins was absent Tuesday night but also would have abstained because his company has a business interest in the case.
The project calls for the demolition or removal of the Commencement House, the home at 2207 N. Elm St. designed by Woman’s College students in 1958 with the help of noted local architect Edward Loewenstein.
The project site stretches from Elm to West Cornwallis Drive and encompasses land where four single-family homes are located.
Developers have changed the project multiple times to meet neighborhood demands.
The plans currently call for 14 townhomes no more than 35 feet tall.
Builder Dwight Stone, who will construct the development, said it will be designed to look like other high-end townhomes that his company has built in Greensboro.
“What we are going to develop, from a quality perspective, will certainly be an asset to the neighborhood,” developer John Stratton said.
Property neighbors filed a protest petition against the rezoning, which meant the project had to gain support from at least six council members to be approved.
Project opponents were concerned about adding more traffic to an already congested intersection. They feared this type of zoning could continue to move into the neighborhood of what has been single-family homes for decades.
“They came to the conclusion the best plan here was single family,” said Don Vaughan, an attorney who represented the neighborhood interests on the project.
The project’s developers argued that vehicle trips created by the townhomes will be less than an earlier proposal, which called for a medical office on the site.
Matheny pointed out that the neighbors previously had supported the project with 24 units. Vaughan said neighbors gave weight to the concern of those adjoining the property who were not sold on the idea.
Patrick Lucas, a UNCG professor who has argued for preservation of the Commencement House, said it fits in with the neighborhood and could be renovated.
“It’s really a tough building to try and move,” Lucas said.
Stratton has said anyone who wants to move the home or take it apart would be allowed to do so, although there has been debate about whether it is in good enough condition to be relocated.
Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or amanda.lehmert@news-record.com
Accompanying Photos
Photo Caption: The Commencement House was built by Woman’s College students in 1958 with the help of local architect Edward Loewenstein.
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