Council hears environmental and noise concerns over Greystar multifamily rezoning near airport overlay
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Summary
Council members debated a Greystar rezoning for up to 306 multifamily stacked units in an area covered by the airport noise disclosure overlay. Councilmembers raised questions about environmental impacts, cumulative effects, and whether the city should develop policy guidance linking land use decisions to environmental and air-quality concerns.
A Greystar rezoning proposal for an 11.5-acre site near Tuckasegee Road drew extended council discussion on Feb. 17 about the airport noise disclosure overlay and environmental considerations.
Staff summarized the petition as a request to rezone an approximately 11.5-acre parcel to a Neighborhood 2C conditional zoning district for up to 306 multifamily stacked units, with a maximum building height of 48 feet and landscape buffers adjacent to single-family neighborhoods. The site sits within the airport noise disclosure overlay, which staff described as a notice to future residents that airport-related noise exists in the area.
Council member LaWanna Mayfield pressed staff on whether the City had engaged its Climate, Infrastructure and Air Program (CIAP) or SEAP teams when reviewing rezonings in the overlay and whether the city should consider environmental constraints when deciding land use. Staff replied that the overlay does not preclude housing and that they did not specifically consult CIAP for this request; staff added the site is on the northern periphery of the overlay where residential use was considered appropriate by long-range planning and the city’s equitable growth framework. Several council members suggested a referral to committee to develop policy guidance linking environmental and cumulative impacts to rezonings.
Council member Dimple Ajmera said prior decisions had weighed industrial vs. residential suitability based on adjacency and that she was open to studying where housing is appropriate. Council members emphasized the need to balance housing supply with environmental and infrastructure concerns and requested additional mapping and details on nearby industrial uses and transport corridors.
Staff recommended approval; the council closed the public hearing by unanimous voice affirmation and moved the petition forward for additional review and refinement of outstanding technical issues.
Why it matters: Parcels inside disclosure overlays raise questions about appropriate land uses and the city's responsibility to address cumulative environmental impacts, including noise and air quality. Councilmembers flagged a policy gap — they can approve rezonings on a case-by-case basis, but some asked for systematic guidance so future decisions better weigh environmental constraints against housing needs.
What happens next: Staff will continue to work on outstanding site and design issues and council indicated interest in a committee referral to discuss policy-level criteria for weighing environmental and infrastructure constraints in rezoning decisions.
