Groups against Friendly rezoning plan to hold rally : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

GREENSBORO — Opponents of a proposed shopping center on West Friendly Avenue hope to draw impressive numbers of residents to a rally Saturday against a proposed rezoning for the commercial project.

Regency Centers, a shopping-center company, wants to build the project on six lots now occupied by houses and currently zoned for residential use only. The project, just west of Hobbs Road, is said to include the Triad's first Trader Joe's grocery.

"The purpose of Saturday's rally is to demonstrate united opposition to the proposed development at Hobbs and Friendly," leaders of the anti-rezoning Friendly Coalition said in a press release this morning. "At the event, neighbors can purchase yard signs that say 'No Commercial Rezoning.'"

The rally is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday just off Hobbs Road on the Hobbs Landing Court cul-de-sac, north of the proposed shopping center site. Those who attend also will receive information about how to contact members of the Greensboro Zoning Commission and the City Council, two boards likely to review the rezoning request that could be on the commission's agenda as early as next month.

Discussion of the project has focused for weeks on Trader Joe's as an anchor tenant, but neither Regency Centers nor Trader Joe's has confirmed or denied that possibility.

Regency Centers has said the project would include a grocery and a drugstore, among other shops, in a development with four buildings and about 250 parking spaces.

Traveler

February 2, 2012 - 11:29 am EST

I understand the neighbor's concerns.

The biggest problem I have is that the neighbors are trying to tell the existing property owners what they can and cannot do with their property.

oh good grief

February 2, 2012 - 11:51 am EST

No, not what the "owners" can and cannot do with their property -- instead, what the Zoning Commission should NOT do with the property.

If such property(ties) didn't require REzoning from residential to commercial it wouldn't be such a sore spot with people who actually live in RESIDENTIAL zoning.

zalo731

February 2, 2012 - 3:11 pm EST

Greensboro has a Comphrehensive Plan that was debated thru public hearings and developed with the imput of many people and voted on/approved by City Council. It designed as a blueprint for how the City would grow and to offer some indication to property owners as to what they could expect regarding appropriate land use of their property. That plan determined that higher density residential was appropriate for those parcels of land. The neighbors aren't trying to tell the existing owners what they can/cannot do with their property. The neighbors are just pointing out that based upon community input, the determination of the community is that no more retail is needed in that area.

If Trader Joe's were not in the mix, and this was presented solely as a drug store anchored shopping center, there would be no consideration of retail use on this property. Nobody but the property owners would be advocating to increase the retail zoning and the City Council wouldn't bat an eye in turning it down. This slavish yearning by some for a retail operation considered trendy really shows how small town Greensboro seems. I mean the N&R editorializing that TJ would bring some kind of relevance to Greensboro as a city appears to be bush league.

buzzman

February 2, 2012 - 4:10 pm EST

Greensboro is NOT a Trader Joe's kind of city. But, a very small number of folks who want to shop at a TJs are trying to convince us that it is. If it must be built, there are many many other places in this City that such a project would fit nicely.

btpearce

February 2, 2012 - 4:20 pm EST

What exactly does it mean that Greensboro is not a "Trader Joe's" city?

Dogwood

February 2, 2012 - 5:49 pm EST

I thought all the houses were sold to a Winston-Salem land company and the out-of-town developer is just under contract if he can get the commercial rezoning. The Winston group could chose to market the properties as residental multi-family and might break even if rezoning fails. I would rather have upscale townhomes and not the drugstore when the nice homes are bulldozed

pixelpusher

February 2, 2012 - 11:32 am EST

Hmmm....

Don't really have an opinion on the grocery store...but between HT, Whole Foods and TJ's, it seems excessive.

But...

Another drugstore? There are two things you can count on at most intersections in Greensboro :

1. People begging for money
2. A drugstore

spartan2001

February 2, 2012 - 11:41 am EST

Interesting. I didn't realize Greensboro has fewer than 10 intersections.

Harley8

What do they expect? They already live in a highly commercialized area. They need to move to the suburbs if they can't stand a few more lights. I feel like Trader Joes will make it happen if that's what they really want

February 2, 2012 - 11:56 am EST

The saddest, most disheartening statement for our City and the way it is run is "I feel like Trader Joes will make it happen if that's what they really want."

If, in the end, that sentence holds true, then we'll all know it was a "done deal" before it was ever brought to the attention of homeowners.

Constancemoore

February 2, 2012 - 12:27 pm EST

The majority of the residents have been n their homes long before the area was considered "highly commercialied" and it is just wrong to suggest that they move. That is a bully tactic. How about the old Fresh Market location at Quaker Village?

avondale

February 2, 2012 - 1:49 pm EST

I was at a civic group meeting last night and this subject came up over dinner. Many in attendance also thought Quaker Village would be a great - and already commercially zoned - location for Trader Joes.

February 2, 2012 - 4:21 pm EST

How many of those people have any experience whatsoever in choosing locations that work for retailers?

katei

February 3, 2012 - 4:52 pm EST

I do.

shine

February 2, 2012 - 6:13 pm EST

Living near this neighborhood, I know this statement is mostly false. Hobbs Landing wasn't built until 2004 and almost all neighbors close to Friendly Ave in the Wedgewood neighborhood have moved there within the last 20 years. When Wedgewood was built, Friendly Center already existed, as did Sears. The area that is now the Shoppes at Friendly used to be the Burlington Industries office building. Let's try not to pretend that this area hasn't been commercialized for a substantial amount of time. I am not necessarily for this development, but I am finding that there are double standards. Starmount (now CBL-Friendly) had free reign in that area without any neighborhood coalitions or groups fighting them and freely admit their non-compete clause with Harris Teeter.

February 2, 2012 - 6:28 pm EST

The Fresh Market are very good and very successful. In thirty years, they grew from their original location on Lawndale to a chain of over 50 stores in something like 20 states. Their web site shows their current locations.

Fresh Market pulled out of the Quaker Village because it did not show enough of a profit.

Why?

1. I don't think it is a "go to" shopping location. The Shops at Friendly and Friendly center have dozens of retailers who bring in customers.

2. There is not much of a neighborhood demand for another grocery store at Quaker Village. The Harris Teeter across the street gets most of the local business.

3. The entrace, exit, and parking are bad. Shoppers want to get in easy, get out easy. Have you ever tried to get into and out of Quaker Village?

4. Quaker Village is old and run down. People want new and pretty.

February 3, 2012 - 4:55 pm EST

"Fresh Market pulled out of the Quaker Village because it did not show enough of a profit."

That's incorrect. Fresh Market was profiting vastly from both the Lawndale AND Quaker locations. So much so, they literally outgrew the dimensions of both stores.

Fresh Market "pulled out" of the Lawndale location AT THE SAME TIME they "pulled out" of Quaker.

These moves were NOT MADE because of a lack of profitability, but rather because Fresh Market had VASTLY EXPANDED THEIR INVENTORY and no longer fit into the building.

1. Trader Joe's is the "go to" location. As an established brand, they don't need the traffic at Friendly to generate interest or customers.

2. There is even less demand at Friendly Center, where Harris Teeter reigns supreme and Whole Foods will be opening. Plus, there's neighborhood demand in the Friendly area AGAINST having another strip mall.

Quaker Village is across the street from a mega-liberal college. Given the choice between TJs right across the street or Harris Teeter down the road, they're going with TJs.

3. Getting in and out of Quaker Village is much easier than dealing with Friendly Ave. on a congested afternoon. You can swing down Guilford, use the New Garden exit off of Bryan, Dolley Madison to get to UNCG, Market St., etc...

4. Wow. Way to cater to shallow selfishness. I thought the people wanted Trader Joe's?

Quaker Village is cute and compact. Bounce U has been going strong for over 5 years. Chinese Kitchen (the best sit-down chinese restaurant in town) and Elizabeth's Pizza are packed for dinner and lunch, particularly on weekends. The Starbucks (speaking of, I LOVE when a grocer and a coffee shop are within the same location) is the ONLY coffee shop in the area.

You're ill-informed and flat out wrong. Quaker Village is an IDEAL location for Trader Joe's. Give Quaker a bit of love, there's lots of reasons to visit. Either way, refrain from perpetuating such nonsense about our town. It has enough shallow detractors.

graymatters

February 2, 2012 - 12:26 pm EST

This is what you get when you elect a commercial real estate broker/developer as Mayor. Any conflict of interest there or just the real estate brokers and developers "scratching each others backs"?

DonMoore

February 2, 2012 - 3:52 pm EST

Looking at the Election Results, many of the surround communities voted for the Mayor. The further west down Friendly went to Bill Knight. It would be interesting to ask the Trader Joe opponents if they voted for Perkins.

jeed

February 2, 2012 - 12:55 pm EST

Booming state, top ten in population, between two of the nation's booming metros (RDU and CLT), and we wonder how we missed the boat. Over a quarter million "city" residents who are determined to keep Greensboro 1965 alive. Wow.

flagstik

February 2, 2012 - 1:09 pm EST

Hopefully common sense will prevail and Trader Joes will utilize existing commercial property that is vacant. Their stores in Raleigh and Chapel Hill aren't on the doorstep of their competitors. We don't need another Wendover/40 or New Garden mess. If you folks are so enthused about RD and Charlotte why don't you move there and enjoy their urban sprawl.

February 3, 2012 - 4:56 pm EST

kudos for flagstik.

BillWright

February 2, 2012 - 2:11 pm EST

If common sense prevails, Trader Joe's will select a site in High Point.

February 3, 2012 - 4:59 pm EST

that'd be wonderful... Greensboro is about to have a Whole Foods and bigger Deep Roots. High Point could use the retail love.

rooster8786

February 2, 2012 - 5:20 pm EST

What people need to understand is this is NOT about Trader Joe's and where it should go or not go. This is about a shopping center developer wanting to develop a parcel of land and hopefully make a profit when they're done.
Maybe, just maybe, the surrounding neighbors should look to work with their neighbors, the developer, and zoning people to get a favorable compromise. If not, you could end up with no shopping center (winning ?), but 6 run down rental properties that the owner could paint chartreuse with orange and purple polka dots. How would that help the value of your property in the long run?

February 2, 2012 - 5:57 pm EST

Good point. Often times people overlook the alternatives in re-zonings. There is absolutely nothing to stop that. Its amazing how many people all of a sudden care for these 6 houses. One would think they were historical landmarks.

February 3, 2012 - 5:02 pm EST

I care about filling the empty storefronts in town before we go building more strip malls.

This town has made developers rich while crippling our ability to thrive. Let's work with what we've got before handing our cash and landscape to Regency Centers.

klstaton

February 2, 2012 - 6:22 pm EST

I LOVE Traders Joe's!!! Cannot wait to get one in GSO! It's been a long time coming
Hurry up and build it already ;)

would you be any less excited if it were going in at Quaker Village?

NOREZONINGSTARMOUNT

February 3, 2012 - 10:44 am EST

It is not about Trader Joe's! It is about DEVELOPMENT. Soon it will creep all the way down Friendly Ave. Homes will disappear and 20 years later it will be another High Point Rd. Let them build one and more will come.
It is always the American way more is better, bigger is better. The excess of society is why this economy is in the condition we have now. Let's learn from the past and protect our futures. How about keeping the GREEN in GREENsboro? Stop cutting down trees and destroy homes?

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