Pittsboro board delays Reeve(s) Farm development agreement, approves annexation contingent on preliminary plat

The Pittsboro Board of Commissioners on Monday approved a voluntary annexation request for the Reeves Farm parcel with a condition that the annexation become effective only if the project's Phase 1 preliminary subdivision plat is approved, and voted to table consideration of the development agreement for the Reeves/Reeves Farm project until the next board meeting.

The action leaves the annexation ready to take effect if and when the board approves the Phase 1 preliminary plat, but the board paused the substantive decision on the development agreement after commissioners and members of the public raised questions about the late delivery of revised agreement documents and about details in the agreement related to recreation, stormwater, affordable housing and phasing.

The development agreement is required by conditions placed on the property's 2023 rezoning; it is intended to fix the rules that will govern construction of public facilities, recreation areas, affordable housing and transportation and utilities for this large mixed-use project. Town staff and the applicant exchanged revised drafts shortly before the meeting; staff told the board those revisions were at the table but that some departments had reviewed only portions of the most recent draft.

Officials said the most substantive changes in the late draft were: clarifications on multiuse-path construction (allowing construction in portions as adjacent parcels are developed), adjustments to traffic projections in the traffic analysis and a provision allowing the developer to assign obligations under the agreement to subsequent purchasers of portions of the project.

Several residents and nearby neighbors urged the board to delay approval until the agreement and related materials could be fully reviewed. Neighbors raised specific concerns about the adequacy of the traffic review, potential increases in stormwater runoff, the placement and timing for construction of multiuse paths, and whether affordable housing units would be delivered across all phases or clustered in later phases.

Developer representatives and counsel said the agreement would dedicate more than 45 acres of land for public recreation, would deposit $500,000 into an escrow account to support improvements at a park around a central pond, and would deliver deed-restricted affordable housing units rather than paying fees in lieu. Under the zoning condition the project must deliver 7.5% of total units as affordable housing; the development agreement as presented breaks that into three tiers of income targeting and includes deed restrictions and monitoring provisions to preserve affordability (first two tiers for longer terms than the highest tier).

On the multiuse path, developer representatives said they had committed to construct the multiuse path corridor and that they would be willing to complete construction of the entire multiuse path within five years of Phase 1 approval; staff said some portions would be constructed in Phase 1. Commissioners voiced concern that building the path in disconnected sections could leave gaps and reduce the usefulness of the greenway until the last builder finishes their portion.

Town staff recommended tabling the development agreement until the next regular meeting to allow more time for complete departmental review and for the applicant to answer outstanding questions. Commissioner comments at the meeting repeatedly cited the late arrival of revised documents — some board members said they received substantive changes only hours before the meeting — as a reason to delay.

Formal actions recorded in the meeting materials and on the record: the board approved the voluntary annexation petition for the Reeves Farm parcel, with the motion specifying that the annexation becomes effective if and when the Phase 1 preliminary subdivision plat is approved. The board then opened a public hearing on the development agreement and, after public comment and extended discussion, voted to table consideration of the development agreement until the next meeting.

The board asked the applicant to return with clearer documentation on: (1) how the multiuse path will be completed and maintained; (2) phasing and the timing/location of affordable units; (3) final traffic and stormwater analyses and whether any off-site improvements are required; and (4) clarifications about the $500,000 escrow for park improvements and how that money will be used. Staff also said they would circulate a red-line version of changes and work with outside reviewers on portions of the traffic and parks analyses.

The tabling decision means the development agreement will not be approved at this meeting and that the board will revisit it at its next regular meeting. The annexation approval was recorded on the consent of the board with a condition tying the effective date to the Phase 1 preliminary plat approval.

Because the development agreement is required by the 2023 rezoning conditions, the board and the public can expect additional hearings and staff review before any final approvals are issued. Several commissioners said they wanted more time for staff, the town attorney and outside reviewers to analyze the submitted materials in full before taking a final vote.