Council approves Village on the Neuse preliminary plat for 117-house development with conditions

The Town of Smithfield on voice vote approved the preliminary subdivision plat for Village on the Neuse LLC, a proposed 117-lot single-family development off Buffalo Road, subject to conditions requiring construction-plan approval, flood-plain permits where applicable and additional stormwater and trail easements.

Planning staff presented the plat, saying it matched the previously approved conditional rezoning and showed roughly 42.26 acres with a proposed density of about 2.82 dwelling units per acre, nearly 6,000 linear feet of proposed streets (27-foot-wide curb-and-gutter sections with one-sided sidewalks), roughly 4,500 linear feet of new water line and nearly 6,000 linear feet of sewer. The plan shows connectivity to Holland Drive through unopened rights-of-way and a proposed multi-use trail and river-adjacent open space. Staff recommended approval with eight conditions, later expanded in council discussion to include additional clarifications on wetlands and minor corrections to the plat.

Planning director Steven (staff) said a traffic impact study had been completed and that stormwater management and flood-plain development permits will be required as construction drawings are submitted. The applicant’s attorney, Jason Wenzel, said the 8,000-square-foot lot size matches the r-8 underlying district and noted the development will include an HOA, open space and trail connections to neighboring properties.

Engineer Jeremy McCall described stormwater plans and said the existing surface drainage that passes toward Everett Lane and the middle school will be captured and routed to the development’s stormwater pond and treated under town and watershed rules. He also said construction traffic will be staged to avoid placing heavy construction traffic on Holland Drive.

Several neighbors raised concerns during the quasi-judicial hearing about wetlands, the location of existing fences and buffers, the potential effect of new stub roads that would connect into Holland Drive and the proximity of new streets to existing yards. Resident Dan Simmons asked for a certified wetland delineation and requested barricades at the end of proposed stub roads to prevent vehicle encroachment onto private property; the applicant agreed to address those points in construction drawings and discussions with staff.

Council voted to adopt the required findings of fact and then approved the preliminary plat with the conditions presented and two added items: (1) certification/clarification of wetlands and correction of typographical or data errors on the plat prior to final acceptance; and (2) coordination between staff, the developer and adjacent homeowners on a perimeter buffer or fence and on secured stub-end barricades to limit vehicular access to private property. The motion carried by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded on the record.