Developers propose "agri-development" model to preserve farmland while creating small-lot housing in Harnett County

Representatives of Sandhills Real Estate Holding asked the Harnett County Board of Commissioners during the public comment period to consider regulatory changes that would allow ‘‘agri-development’’ projects that preserve large portions of a tract for farming while creating smaller residential lots.

Justin Veil Romani, a representative of Sandhills Real Estate Holding, described a completed Cumberland County project he identified as “SIDS Mill 151,” in which his team purchased 151 acres, preserved 98 acres in active farm production and created 13 lots for development. He said the Cumberland approvals allowed phased elements, interior lots with wells and road-front lots that tied to public water, and that provisions in Harnett County’s Unified Development Regulations (UDR) currently prevent similar projects.

"Currently, the provisions in the Harnett County UDR are preventing us from bringing a project like this to Harnett County," Romani said during the presentation. He proposed several changes to allow analogous projects in Harnett County: using an aggregated acreage approach so an exempt subdivision threshold could apply across a larger tract, permitting sequential or phased minor subdivisions, allowing wells on interior lots while requiring public tie-ins for road-front lots, creating an agricultural overlay (the developer suggested allowing up to 45% of a qualifying tract to be developed with the remainder preserved), and a 15-year commitment period for the preserved acreage to remain in agricultural production.

Romani said lot sizes in his Cumberland project ranged from about 1 acre for interior lots to roughly 10 acres for three road-front lots; he said three lots on the road were about 10 acres each and interior lots were about 1 acre. He also said the preserved acreage had active farm leases for hay and rotational crops and that the remaining acreage was under timber management.

Commissioners and other attendees asked clarifying questions during and after the presentation. A commissioner noted the project aligns with the county’s interest in preserving farmland; Romani offered to host an on-site visit at SIDS Mill and said his team would meet with county planning staff to discuss potential regulatory changes. Romani praised the Harnett County planning staff by name, saying, "Emma is a godsend," attributing that comment to his experience working with county planners.

No formal county vote or staff directive on ordinance changes was recorded in the meeting transcript; the developers requested the opportunity to open a conversation with county staff and commissioners.