The Garner Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of CZMP24006, a tier-2 conditional rezoning that would rezone 42.4 acres in the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction to allow up to 37 single‑family detached homes.

Planner Erin Joseph summarized staff findings: the site is in the ETJ, currently zoned rural‑agricultural, and would be served by existing City of Raleigh water and an 18‑inch sewer outfall along Little Arm Branch. Staff noted the applicant proposes average lot sizes of about 12,000 square feet, a required 4.2 acres of open space (the applicant committed 15 acres), two above‑ground stormwater control measures, and a host of design conditions including pedestrian trail connections, landscaping buffers, architectural standards and a cap of one dwelling unit per acre. Joseph also cited recent NCDOT counts that show a 2024 annual average daily traffic of 5,777 on the segment of Creech Road adjacent to the site.

The applicant’s attorney, Isabelle Maddox, told the commission the project is a major pivot from an earlier proposal. "To my client's credit, they did a major pivot to change this from 320 roughly apartment units to 37 single family detached," Maddox said, emphasizing added open space, playgrounds and greenway connections. Engineer Beth Blackman said streets will be public, Jewel Street frontage on the project side will be paved with curb, gutter and sidewalk, and sewer and water already exist on the property.

Commissioners questioned buffer and landscape plans along Creech Road, stormwater design and street access. The applicant said a 25‑foot buffer along Creech Road will likely require some replanting where road widening is needed; two ponds were proposed because site grades and conservation buffers prevented a single pond solution. Commissioners also discussed house sizes and frontage: council‑level changes increased the minimum heated area in the zoning conditions from 1,500 to 1,800 square feet.

After discussion, the commission accepted the draft consistency statement and voted 7–0 to recommend approval to Town Council. Immediately following that action, the commission approved a separate motion asking staff and Town Council to study the feasibility, right‑of‑way constraints and cost of adding curb and gutter to the south side of Jewell Street — a request the applicant and several commissioners had raised during questions about drainage and pedestrian facilities.

The Planning Commission’s recommendation and the curb‑and‑gutter feasibility request will be forwarded to Town Council for consideration. The rezoning case will return to Council for findings of reasonableness and a final approval decision.