Smithfield council denies annexation and rezoning for 498-acre Bellamy development after residents raise traffic, farm-operations concerns

The Town of Smithfield Town Council voted 5-0 on Oct. 8 to deny a developer petition to annex roughly 498.3 acres and to deny a conditional rezoning that would have allowed construction of 1,147 residential units in a project called Bellamy.

The outcome followed more than three hours of staff presentation, expert testimony and public comment that centered on traffic, sewer capacity, stormwater and compatibility with an adjacent hog farm owned and operated by members of the Youngblood family.

The proposed Bellamy master plan would have included 870 detached single-family lots and 277 townhome lots across four build phases, and staff said the project’s gross density would be about 2.4 dwelling units per acre. The developer also offered a large public-access/open-space package — labelled in materials as roughly 125 acres of parkland dedication — and internal amenities including a 5-acre primary amenity and pocket parks.

Planning staff presented the project as consistent with the town’s future land-use map, stating the development fit the town’s “low density” guidance of 1–4 units per acre and noting the plan’s internal mix of lot sizes and buffers. The planning director also described required utilities: a developer-funded pump station and new sewer lines to connect to the town system, looped water lines, and electric service from Duke Energy. Staff recommended approval with conditions, including clarifications to parking, HOA responsibilities, and a 30-foot public trail easement in lieu of…