Graham’s city council voted down a local developer’s request to rezone property for five duplexes Tuesday night. The vote was 3-1, with the council operating with only four members since the resignation of Joey Parsons, who was on hand earlier in the evening to receive a send-off from his former colleagues.
Opposition to the duplex project came both from single-family homeowners who live along the short, narrow street (Wilton Drive) that would serve as the entrance to the 5-lot development, as well as from several residents of Chandler Village, a 22-unit townhouse development facing Moore Street near Rogers Road that backs up to the potential duplexes.
One of the ironies of the evening is that a decade ago the same developer, Chris Foust, was one of three developers who got approval for the very townhouses whose current residents opposed his new project.
That earlier action was in 2013, and now residents in both of the existing developments fear the traffic from the many new residents of the small, 1.5-acre plot of land.
It was also clear in many of the comments that home-owning residents in both townhouses and detached homes are concerned with what they consider to be the lower caliber of residents who might occupy rental duplexes.
All speakers who opposed the duplexes said they had no problem with Foust’s other option that didn’t require rezoning, which was to sell the five parcels for future development of single-family homes, likely to be constructed by a tract builder like D.R. Horton.
[Story continues below special subscription offer.]
TO KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST LOCAL NEWS – INCLUDING THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE GRAHAM NEWS – SUBSCRIBE TO THE ALAMANCE NEWS. Both in print each week and online every day, there’s nowhere you’ll find more LOCAL NEWS. JUST $50 FOR UNLIMITED ONLINE ACCESS – and for Alamance County residents, price includes a print copy by mail.
Foust and his wife, Kristin, both portrayed their plans for the new development as being very nice, and council members pulled images of some of the couple’s other duplexes along Washington Street, which did not appease the neighbors opposed to the proposed duplex project near them.
Among those speaking against the rezoning were Candice Brown, Janet Tirpack, Anita Hunter, and Lynne Smith.
Brown, who lives in the townhouses, said she enjoys the field and wooded area behind her home and doesn’t want to see duplexes.
Hunter questioned “what kind of people are in duplexes,” suggesting that they would be both loud, disturbing the tranquil neighborhood, and potentially include unsavory characters.
Similarly, Smith worried about who will occupy the rental units.
Council members generally sided with the neighbors. “I’m not a fan of something that doesn’t fit in with existing neighborhoods,” said council member Bonnie Whitaker.
Councilman Bobby Chin said he agreed that single-family ownership would be preferable to rental units.
But mayor pro tem Ricky Hall said that, while he’s normally an opponent of “downgrading to R7 zoning,” he thought “duplexes make as much sense as single family [homes] on the particular acreage” in question.
Hall was the only member to support the developer when mayor Jennifer Talley motioned to deny the rezoning request, which passed 3-1. She, Whitaker, and Chin voted for the motion rejecting the rezoning, which was opposed by Hall.
