Pittsboro denies conditional rezoning for 102 Park Drive after residents cite flooding, traffic

The Pittsboro Board of Commissioners on June 13 voted unanimously to deny a conditional rezoning request for 102 Park Drive, concluding that the application was not consistent with the town's land use plan and following extensive public comment raising traffic and flooding concerns.

Planner's presentation and planning‑board history: Planner Jenny Phelps summarized the request to change the property from R‑12 (medium‑density residential) to OICZ (office and institutional conditional zoning) with a reduced list of permitted uses after an earlier planning‑board tabling; she told the board the application was inconsistent with the town's land use plan designation (medium‑density residential) and that the planning board had asked for a reduced set of uses before forwarding the item.

Public comment: Several residents who live near Park Drive and Oakwood Drive asked the board to deny the rezoning. Anna Davidson said the neighborhood has experienced vehicle speeding, lacks sidewalks or traffic calming, and has repeated flooding; she told the board she and neighbors had started a petition and asked the board to "strongly consider slowing down this application process and really putting civic planning at the forefront." Paul Neville, who lives within several hundred feet of the parcel, cited safety (speeding vehicles without sidewalks) and repeated flooding on Park Drive; he said more impervious surface would exacerbate claims and insurance costs for neighbors.

Applicant response and technical points: Developer representatives (Brandon Moore; Via Logica representatives) told the board they intend to access nonresidential uses through the existing Alpha Center and that the layout keeps new buildings outside the 100‑year floodplain and behind a substantial vegetated buffer (the applicant described a buffer of roughly 100+ feet including a 30‑foot plus additional 50‑foot component). The developer said most traffic would use the widened 15501 corridor rather than cutting through adjacent neighborhoods and said stormwater measures and a pond are proposed and can be refined at site‑plan stage.

Board action: After discussion and the close of the public hearing, Commissioner Shipp moved to find the rezoning inconsistent with the land use plan and to deny the application; Mayor Pro Tem Baldwin seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: Neighbors argued the parcel's proximity to a known flood‑prone area and lack of sidewalks in adjacent neighborhoods mean a change to nonresidential uses would increase risk and cut against the town's stated planning goals. The denial underscores commissioners' current caution on rezoning while sewer capacity and a future land use plan update are pending.

Next steps: The applicant may revise and resubmit after the statutory waiting period or when circumstances change; staff noted the town will continue a future land use plan update that could change long‑term guidance for this and similar parcels.