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Greensboro council approves conditional rezoning at 2402 Liberty Road over neighborhood objections
Summary
The council voted 9–0 to rezone 2402 Liberty Road from single-family R-5 to CDRM-18 (conditional residential multifamily) after a public hearing where neighbors raised traffic and outreach concerns and the property owner pledged a two-unit twin-home design under conditional review.
The Greensboro City Council on Jan. 20 approved a conditional rezoning for 2402 Liberty Road (CDRM-18), overturning an appeal of the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation and adopting a statement of consistency with the city’s GSO 2040 plan.
Property owner Derek McDowell told the council his proposal followed the city’s procedures and would be limited to a twin-home (two attached units) design, with conditions regulating layout, setbacks and buffers. McDowell said the conditional district preserves city oversight of the site plan and design.
Opposition came from neighborhood residents led by Mitchell (Mitch) Cook, who said the short, established block of Liberty Road is a small single-family enclave and warned that multifamily zoning could raise traffic, encourage higher-density development in the future, and erode long-term neighborhood character. Cook noted a 29-signature petition from neighbors and said many long-term residents who have lived on the street for decades oppose the rezoning.
Council members questioned whether outreach occurred; staff confirmed that notices were sent to properties within the 750-foot statutory notice radius and that the applicant provided a flyer and held a daytime Zoom meeting with limited attendance. Staff also noted the applicant could, under current R-5 rules, build a principal residence and an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) without rezoning; council members discussed the difference between an ADU and the proposed conditional use.
City legal counsel reminded council members that Planning & Zoning’s recommendation is advisory and that the governing board must make an independent legislative decision based on the application as presented. After deliberation, council adopted the required statement of consistency and approved the rezoning 9–0.
What the approval means: The conditional CDRM-18 designation allows the city to enforce limits described in the applicant’s conditions (listed in the planning materials) and requires final site-plan review before development proceeds. Neighbors said they may continue to press concerns about traffic and density as the project moves to site plan review.
Votes and next steps: Council voted to approve the rezoning (recorded vote: 9–0). The applicant must submit a final site plan and comply with conditions in the approved conditional district before construction.
