Wendell board rejects Lennar’s Weathers Landing annexation and rezoning after hours of testimony

The Wendell Town Board voted 3-2 to reject a request to annex and rezone roughly 304 acres for a proposed subdivision called Weathers Landing, a project that would have included about 760 single‑family homes, 170 townhomes and a publicly dedicated 10‑acre park.

The proposal, led by Lennar Homes and presented by attorney Collier Marsh of Parker Poe, included a master plan with a 4,000‑square‑foot pool, a 2,500‑square‑foot clubhouse, roughly 54,000 square feet of greenway to be publicly dedicated, and multiple engineered stormwater control measures. Town planning staff recommended approval, but the board declined the rezoning after more than four hours of testimony and questions.

Why it matters: The proposal would have extended municipal services, added hundreds of dwellings near Roseville and Davistown roads, and required substantial off‑site transportation and utility improvements. Opponents said the scale and density would worsen traffic on Roseville Road, risk runoff into Robertson Mill Pond Preserve and local farms, and change the area’s rural character. Supporters stressed the public park, greenway, and stormwater commitments the developer offered.

Collier Marsh, representing Lennar Homes, said the plan was designed to implement the town’s Blueprint 2030 goals for housing variety and open space and to provide a “transition” to an Innovation District west and south of the site. Marsh said the project would preserve about 128 acres as open space, deliver a publicly owned 10‑acre park to the town, and construct roughly a mile of greenway through the site.

Stormwater engineer Kelly Garcia of McAdams told the board the developer committed to detain peak flows for the 1‑, 10‑ and 25‑year storm events and to provide an “enhanced wetland” as a primary stormwater control measure to treat water before it discharges off the property. Garcia said, quoting the project commitment, that “the post development stormwater discharge peak flow rate for the property shall not exceed pre development peak flow rates for the 1 year, 10 year, and 25 year storm events at points of analysis where runoff leaves the property.” She added that the project would include inspections and HOA maintenance agreements for the stormwater facilities.

Traffic engineer Nate Beauchwind of McAdams described a traffic impact analysis that included 23 intersections, AM and PM peak counts grown to a 2031 build year, and turn‑lane and signal warrants. The team said NCDOT approved the TIA and that the developer would construct turn lanes and pay for signal installation if NCDOT’s signal warrants are met. Marsh noted the developer offered roughly $6.3 million in off‑site improvements and about $8.4 million in on‑site street construction.

Many residents who live along Roseville Road, Davistown Road and adjacent subdivisions told the board they oppose the rezoning. Concerns voiced repeatedly in the public comment period included traffic congestion and safety, loss of farmland and wildlife habitat, night‑time light pollution affecting the adjacent Robertson Mill Pond Preserve, and whether the proposed stormwater measures would protect downstream farms and irrigation ponds.

Farm owner and longtime neighbor Carl Parker said the project’s plans did not address extreme events and warned that irrigation ponds used by adjacent produce farms could be contaminated by runoff. Several other speakers noted the site’s proximity to Robertson Mill Pond Preserve and warned that increased light and runoff could harm wetland species.

Supporters of the project included some landowners who sold parcels and residents who said the development would add parks and walking trails. Landowner Ben Weathers, who owns a portion of the property, told the board he and his family view the project as a quality development and urged approval.

Board action and next steps: A board member moved to approve annexation and rezoning with the conditions presented that evening and an added requirement that stormwater control measures be fenced for safety. The applicant agreed to the fence condition on the record. The motion failed on a 2-3 vote; the board recorded two affirmative votes and three opposed. Because the rezoning failed, the companion developer’s agreement on the agenda was not considered. If the applicant chooses, it may revise and resubmit another proposal or appeal the decision according to state law and town procedures.

What remained in the record: The staff presentation and the developer’s commitments included dozens of zoning conditions covering lot widths and setbacks, building appearance standards, minimum open space requirements, a homeowners association responsible for private amenities, a minimum townhome lot size of about 2,000 square feet, construction of a minimum 12‑foot paved greenway within a 30‑foot easement, a series of traffic mitigation improvements (turn lanes and signal warrant analyses timed to specific certificate‑of‑occupancy thresholds), and a constructed wetland SCM that must meet Town of Wendell and NCDEQ requirements.

The vote capped a meeting in which more than 40 people spoke during the public hearing and public comment periods. Several speakers asked the town to preserve the rural character of eastern Wendell; others emphasized the need for housing and the value of the park and greenway commitments. With the rezoning rejected, the developer may revise the plan and return to the board, or pursue other options under North Carolina law. For now, the parcels remain in Wake County zoning jurisdiction.