Graham’s planning board recommended this week that a 1.5-acre parcel along NC 54 at the interstate be rezoned for commercial use.
The property, now owned by G. Travers Webb, III who lives across the street from the site, is currently zoned for multifamily use. That zoning designation was made in order to allow the Elevate 54 apartment complex to be constructed on the back side of the property. The location is at the corner of East Harden Street (NC 54) and Riverbend Road, about a block from I-85/40.
Prior to its development, the formerly wooded property was the home place of long-time Graham physician Dr. Clinton Crissman and had been owned by his descendants prior to Webb’s involvement and the subsequent development into apartments by Signature Properties of Greensboro.
Webb described the reason for the rezoning request as to “allow for marketing my property for future development.” Webb told the planning board that a large commercial company is interested in the site. “It’s one of their favorite spots,” he described to the board.
Subsequently, in an interview with The Alamance News, Webb revealed that a “high end retail” customer, a national restaurant chain, was interested in the property.
The planning board voted unanimously, 6-0, to recommend the general business rezoning (B-2) for the acre-and-a-half lot.
Voting in favor were chairman Dean Ward, vice chairman Justin Moody, and members Tony Bailey, Bobby Chen, Eric Crissman, and Nate Perry. Crissman sought and received clearance from fellow board members to be involved in the rezoning discussion inasmuch as his family had formerly owned the property; Crissman ultimately made the motion to recommend the commercial rezoning.
The seventh planning board member, Michael Benesch, later explained to fellow board members that he had had difficulty accessing the online meeting; he did not participate in this first agenda item.
See other Graham news in this week’s edition:
Planning board recommends rezoning for 1,056 new apartments near busy road, highway exit (Jan. 21, 2021 edition): https://alamancenews.com/planning-board-recommends-ok-for-1056-new-apartments-traffic-water-sewer-concerns-passed-on-to-city-council/
City council approves two subdivisions – one for 200 single-family homes, another for 105 townhouses (Jan. 21, 2021 edition) https://alamancenews.com/council-agrees-to-200-single-family-home-subdivision-on-split-vote-unanimously-for-105-townhouses/
Graham’s city manager leaving for Montgomery County (Jan. 21, 2021): https://alamancenews.com/graham-city-manager-leaving-to-become-county-manager-in-montgomery-county/
