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Commissioners briefed on petition to rezone 28 acres near Union Cross for up to 138 townhomes
Summary
Planning staff presented a petition to rezone about 28 acres on the east side of Hastings Road from agricultural to RM5S (multifamily townhomes, up to 5 units per acre); the Planning Board recommended approval 5–1 amid opposition citing traffic and inconsistency with the area plan.
A public hearing briefing on March 19 outlined a petition by Tanya Hardy and Leslie Hardy Hadley to rezone roughly 28 acres on the east side of Hastings Road between I-74 and High Point Road from AG (agricultural) to RM5S (multifamily/townhome at up to five units per acre). Planning Director Chris Murphy told commissioners the petition would allow two access points from Hastings Road and a plan showing 138 townhomes, a central green and recreation area.
The petition lies within Growth Management Area (GMA) 3 and within the Southeast Forsyth County area plan (adopted 2014), which previously recommended large-lot residential for the site because public sewer was not believed available at that time. Murphy said the installation of sewer serving nearby Weatherstone and a manhole along High Point Road now make the parcel serviceable, and Legacy 2030 guidance for sewered land in GMA 3 supports 0–8 units per acre. "The request is consistent with the general recommendation of Legacy 2030 to allow residential development at a density of 0 to 8 units per acre within the utility serviceable land area," Murphy said.
Opposition at the Planning Board hearing focused on school-area traffic at Union Cross Elementary, increased density, use of townhomes, and inconsistency with the adopted area plan. Murphy noted available traffic counts on Hastings Road south of I-74 showed about 400 trips per day (2023) but said there are no counts immediately adjacent to the school and afternoon/morning school traffic is an existing condition. The Planning Board recommended approval 5–1 at its April 10 public hearing.
Murphy also summarized surrounding zoning and land uses, noting nearby Weatherstone (an approved mixed-use PRD), Union Cross Elementary School, and the North Carolina Leadership Academy. He said the site was historically used for agriculture, including tobacco farming, and that a future area-plan update would likely reflect the parcel's sewer service and allow greater intensity.
No final vote by the Board of Commissioners on the rezoning was recorded in the March 19 briefing; the item was presented for the public hearing on the commission agenda for the subsequent meeting.
Why it matters: Rezoning could add nearly 140 townhome units adjacent to an elementary school and an industrial activity center; opponents cited traffic and plan inconsistency while staff cited sewer availability and Legacy 2030 guidance.
Additional details: The Planning Director said the county attorney rendered a spot-zoning opinion that a successful challenge would likely not find the rezoning to be spot zoning. The Planning Board record shows substantial audience opposition but a single spokesperson represented the group at the hearing.
