Gastonia council approves annexation, rezoning for 83-acre Briar Oak/Penny Park development with traffic and stormwater conditions

Gastonia City Council on Aug. 19 approved a voluntary annexation and rezoning request from Northway Homes and development partner DP Development for roughly 83.37 acres west of Davis Park Road to allow a planned residential subdivision with a maximum of 218 homes.

The council’s decision followed a two‑hour public hearing packed with neighborhood objections about traffic, sight lines and drainage and detailed staff and consultant briefings on required mitigations. The council adopted the rezoning to a Planned Development Revised Residential Development District (PD‑RRDD) after the developer agreed to additional conditions the council added at the dais.

Why it matters: The project lies in a semi‑rural part of western Gastonia where multiple new subdivisions already have or are being built. Residents said local two‑lane roads are overloaded and that additional traffic and construction activity would worsen safety and drainage. Council members who voted to approve said annexation gives the city leverage to require infrastructure and quality standards that would not apply if the property were developed under county rules.

What the council approved and the new conditions - Approved: voluntary annexation of approximately 83.37 acres (File No. 202400443) and rezoning from Gaston County R‑1/RS‑12 to City of Gastonia PD‑RRDD to allow a front‑loaded single‑family subdivision with up to 218 lots. Planning staff had recommended approval and the Planning Commission recommended the request 6–0. - Developer commitments already in the rezoning package: revised site plan reducing units from the May version (222 → 218), front‑loaded single‑family product meeting R2D2 standards, a 7‑foot access path and a dedicated 30‑foot easement for a future public greenway, perimeter buffers (25‑ to 30‑foot in locations), commitments to fiber‑cement siding and masonry accents, and installation of three license‑plate reader cameras at the development’s entrances. - Council additions adopted as conditions at the meeting (the developer agreed):…