A Raleigh homebuilder is looking to build 65 townhouses off South Main Street near Bethany Presbyterian Church.
Glenwood Homes has several other Alamance County developments, including the Villas at Southwick (south of Graham), a similar townhouse development to the new one proposed within the city, and a single-family development, Forest Creek at Elon.
Graham’s planning board last week ultimately recommended the project to Graham’s city council for approval. However, the board did take exception to the one-way entrances in and out of the development being private roads, recommending, instead, that they be turned over to the city. Doing so will also ensure that they meet the municipality’s standards.
Additionally, the layout for the development leaves a roughly 2-acre portion of the 6.2-acre site at the front of the property, facing NC 87, vacant for future commercial development.
The 6.2-acre property is comprised of two portions, one owned by a Patterson family trust, and the other by Bethany Presbyterian Church, which is across the road from the property.
Officials with the company explained that the townhouse market in Graham is extremely hot right now, with sales typically taking place within 14 days of when they go on the market.
The proposed townhouses will have approximately 1,700 square feet and a one-car garage.
Story continues below.
Patty Allen, who lives on Shannon Drive near the new development, expressed concerns about additional traffic along the two-lane road.
Glenn Patterson, whose family trust owns one of the parts of the property to be sold for the townhouse complex, agreed that traffic is increasing in the area. “Traffic is a major concern. Always has been,” he said. But Patterson said the traffic is a problem with or without the new townhouses.
Patterson noted that the land was able to be developed because the proposed “southern loop,” which the state department of transportation (NCDOT) had originally mapped through this area had been scrapped several years ago after opposition from Graham’s city council and the high price tag that by then had been estimated for construction of the loop.
Planning board chairman Dean Ward raised concerns about the proposed private one-way streets at the entrance and exit on each side of the commercial property at the front of the lot. The board ultimately agreed to recommend the project with the caveat that the roads in and out become public, rather than private. Voting in favor were Ward, Justin Moody, Nathan Perry, Tony Bailey, and Bobby Chin. Eric Crissman and Michael Benesch were absent.
(Story continues below)
The city council members will hear the same request during a public hearing at their December 8 meeting at 6:00 p.m.
