Sanford City Council approves rezonings, sewer developer agreements and midyear budget amendment

Sanford City Council on March 4 approved a package of development, utility and budget items that city staff said will support upcoming residential projects and close out capital accounts.

Major actions taken by the council included approval of two zoning-map amendments to allow townhomes and multifamily housing, adoption of two downstream sewer developer agreements (Adams Village and Broadwell) that allocate developer payments toward increased sewer capacity in the Gasteridge Creek subbasin, a midyear operating-budget amendment that moves appropriations across departments, and the closeout of two capital projects: Moncure Mega Site Phase 2 (wastewater, Project S2101) and Project Forge (site-prep and roadway G02/2002).

Council also approved a three-year lease for a customer-service office space in Pittsboro to support billing and customer service related to the planned merger with Chatham County and Siler City, and directed the city clerk to investigate two annexation petitions (Harkey Road Developers and DRB Group of North Carolina) and set public hearings for March 18 at 6 p.m.

The council adopted the Adams Village downstream sewer developers agreement, which staff said covers a 211-single-family and 84-townhome preliminary plat (two phases) and allocates $247,422 of developer contributions for sewer-capacity improvements. The Broadwell agreement covers a four-phase development with a preliminary plat for 270 single-family homes and 210 townhomes and allocates $386,032.50 for sewer-capacity upgrades.

Council made routine motions to approve the agenda and the consent agenda earlier in the meeting. Most motions were moved and seconded by councilmembers present; votes were taken by voice and recorded as approved on the record.

Votes at a glance (motion, mover, seconder, outcome): - Approve sale of vacant lot on Wicker Street to Cora McKeever and restrictive covenants in the purchase agreement; mover: Rhodes; seconder: Dabbs; outcome: approved. - Approve temporary closure of Third Street for Bee City USA Field Day (May 3, 6 a.m.–1 p.m.); mover: Dabbs; seconder: Ferguson; outcome: approved. - Close out Moncure Mega Site Phase 2 (Project S2101) and transfer remaining project funds back to the utility fund; mover: Buckles; seconder: Rhodes; outcome: approved. - Close out Project Forge (site prep and roadway G02/2002) and transfer balances back to the general fund; mover: Rhodes; seconder: Dabbs; outcome: approved. - Approve midyear amendment to the fiscal-year operating budget (FY 2024-25) including general-fund adjustments (examples: Administration $11,000; Community Development $2,500; Finance $30,000; Inspections $36,219) and multiple utility-fund transfers (examples: Distribution & Collection $785,796; Utility maintenance $206,650; Water filtration $401,919); mover: Dabbs; seconder: Rhodes; outcome: approved. - Approve Pittsboro/Chatham Commons lease for a three-year customer-service office to support billing and the planned merger; mover: Ferguson; seconder: Taylor; outcome: approved. - Direct clerk to investigate voluntary contiguous annexation petition for Harkey Road Developers (18.736 acres) and set public hearing for March 18 at 6 p.m.; mover: Dabbs; seconder: Rhodes; outcome: approved. - Direct clerk to investigate voluntary noncontiguous annexation petition by DRB Group of North Carolina (10.086 acres, Cortland Drive) and set public hearing for March 18 at 6 p.m.; mover: Dabbs; seconder: Ferguson; outcome: approved. - Approve zoning-map amendment (Otter Creek Properties) to rezone six parcels (about 4.5 acres) to a conditional Palomino Townhomes district (SN-122); motion and second recorded on the record; outcome: approved (1 no vote recorded). - Approve zoning-map amendment (Rollingdale Investment LLC) to rezone about 20.44 acres off Carthage Street from Urban Neighborhood (UN-6) to Multifamily (MF-12); mover: Rhodes; seconder: Buckles; outcome: approved. - Adopt Adams Village downstream sewer developers agreement (developer share $247,422); mover: Dabbs; seconder: Rhodes; outcome: approved. - Adopt Broadwell downstream sewer developers agreement (developer share $386,032.50); mover: Dabbs; seconder: Ferguson; outcome: approved.

Council also recessed into a closed session citing North Carolina General Statute 143-318.11(a)(1) and later returned to the public meeting to conduct two public-hearing decisions and conclude business.

The meeting record shows voice votes with motions carried by affirmation; the transcript did not record individual roll-call tallies for most items.