High Point hears hours of public comment as High Point University seeks Greenway reroute; council says no vote yet

At its Feb. 3 meeting, the High Point City Council heard more than two hours of public comment on a request from High Point University to reroute part of the High Point Greenway around the university campus; the council said it has received the request but is still in an information‑gathering stage and made no decision.

The topic drew a large turnout of residents, students and business owners who gave both detailed technical critiques and personal testimony about safety, accessibility and community character. Mayor Sheryl Jefferson told the room the council had received the university's proposal but “we are still in the information gathering stage of things,” and that city staff and the city attorney were examining issues including easements and title rights.

Why it matters: The Greenway segment in question runs adjacent to the High Point University campus and is used by runners, cyclists, families and visitors. Supporters of the university proposal said a reroute would improve safety and create an upgraded, 10‑foot wide urban path; opponents said the proposed alignment would move the Greenway onto busy streets, reduce access to a wooded, flood‑plain linear park and create additional hazardous crossings.

Supporters’ case

Several speakers who said they use the Greenway supported the university’s request or urged the council to consider the university’s plans. Melody Burnett, who identified her business at 515 West English Road, said HPU proposes a reroute “approximately 4,800 feet around the perimeter of the campus” with a 10‑foot‑wide pathway, a landscaped buffer and “ornamental grasses and shrubs” intended to enhance safety and aesthetics. “HPU plans to add a 10 foot wide pathway with the landscape pedestrian buffer and ornamental grasses and shrubs that will enhance the safety, the aesthetics, and the overall user experience,” Burnett said.

Mike Esposito, who described himself as an avid Greenway user, said his understanding from HPU is that the university will invest significantly and that the new alignment “will not be closed. It also, will be safe.” Barry Kitley, who supported the proposal and referenced past city decisions that enabled HPU expansion, described the reroute as consistent with an urban greenway: “It is not taking the greenway away. It's rerouting 2,300 feet of a 5‑mile section… The adjustment around campus will involve ADA compliance, enhanced landscaping, and a new trailhead,” he said.

Opponents’ case

Residents, cyclists, longtime Greenway users and several speakers with planning or engineering backgrounds opposed the change, saying the existing path’s wooded, off‑street character could not be replicated along the proposed on‑street alignment. Eileen Roberts, who described nearly 50 years in High Point, said the Greenway Master Plan (adopted by the council in 2021) envisions separated, paved paths in natural corridors and argued the HPU plan would sacrifice those qualities.

“High Point University is a major part of the city. So this section of Greenway gives users a peek at what is happening in this dynamic place,” Roberts said. “The proposed new route would not have these same impacts. I firmly feel it would be used less by few people because it would have poor accessibility and quality.”

Cyclists and parents emphasized grades and interruptions on the proposed route. Ken Cruz, a retired civil engineer, said the proposed alignment includes steep grades and zigzags that make it unsuitable for cycling. Multiple speakers urged council members and staff to walk both the existing Greenway corridor and the proposed on‑street route before making a judgment.

Safety: competing claims

Speakers on both sides invoked safety. Several students and an HPU staff member described incidents in which people entered campus from the Greenway; a staff member who identified themselves as a High Point University employee recounted escorting middle‑ and high‑school students on a tour last summer when “a middle aged man suddenly jumped the fence from the Greenway and entered campus,” prompting a campus police response. A student who asked not to be named in that comment said the incident prompted questions from the visiting students about safety.

At the same time, opponents argued the current off‑street Greenway is safer than an on‑street route that would require multiple stop crossings at busy intersections such as Panther Drive and College Village. Multiple speakers asked the council to consider vulnerabilities for older adults, families with small children, and cyclists if the Greenway were rerouted onto sidewalks abutting multi‑lane roads.

Process and next steps

Mayor Jefferson told the meeting that the item is being discussed in the council’s Prosperity, Livability and Safety Committee; those committee meetings occur the first Wednesday following the first Thursday after the council meeting and are chaired by Council Member Peters. Jefferson urged residents to sign up for city notifications at highpointnc.gov/notifyme for updates, and she said the city attorney and staff are still reviewing legal and property issues, including easements and title.

Council did not vote on the Greenway proposal and made no formal direction at the Feb. 3 meeting. Several speakers asked for transparency and for HPU to publish detailed plans; staff and multiple council members acknowledged questions remain about plan specifics, jurisdictional limits (for example, flood‑plain restrictions that speakers noted), traffic impacts and maintenance responsibilities.

Votes at a glance

- Agenda adoption: motion by Council Member Holmes, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Tim Moore; outcome: approved. - Consent agenda: motion by Council Member Holmes, seconded by Council Member Andrew; outcome: approved. - Recommendation to state for the Elihu and Abigail Mendenhall House National Register nomination: motion made from the dais and seconded; the council voted to forward a recommendation to the North Carolina review body; outcome: approved. (Staff noted the property is already listed as a Guilford County landmark and will next be considered by the state advisory council on historic preservation.) - Reappointment of Stacy Jones to the Human Relations Commission (term to 11/01/2026): approved. - Appointment of Tiffany Sutherland to the Human Relations Commission (term to 11/01/2026): approved. - Appointment of Carl Vierling to the Citizens Advisory Council (term to 05/31/2026): approved. - Adjournment: approved.

What to watch: Council members and staff said the Greenway proposal remains in the fact‑gathering stage. The council’s Prosperity, Livability and Safety Committee and the city attorney’s office will continue review; councilors encouraged residents to follow staff postings and committee materials and to attend future committee meetings.