Wendell board rejects annexation and rezoning for Weathers Landing after hours of testimony

The Wendell Town Board voted 2–3 Monday night to deny a developer’s request to annex and rezone about 304.06 acres to create the Weathers Landing subdivision, a project that would have added roughly 760 single‑family homes and 170 townhomes.

Town planning staff recommended approval, saying the proposal largely fits the town’s Blueprint 2030 map and provides public benefits including a 10‑acre public park and more than a mile of greenway. The applicant, Lennar Homes, and its consultants defended the plan at the public hearing and described additional conditions intended to address neighbors’ concerns.

The denial came after about four hours of presentations and public comment. Town planner Brian Coats reviewed the rezoning petition and the draft conditional district, saying the developer proposes an average density of about "3 units per acre" and that the project would provide zoning conditions and infrastructure improvements including turn lanes, sidewalks, and greenway connections. Attorney Collier Marsh, representing the applicant, said the proposal was “right in the middle” of the plan’s density range and highlighted commitments to a 10‑acre town park, a roughly one‑mile greenway and extensive open space.

Stormwater was a central technical topic. Kelly Garcia, stormwater engineer with McAdams,…