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Southern Pines council approves 16‑unit Clark Street townhome project with conditions
Summary
The Southern Pines Town Council approved a conditional rezoning and preliminary plat allowing 16 townhomes on Clark Street, adding conditions to limit building height to two stories, require an emergency Knox gate with pedestrian/bike access, restrict construction traffic to Clark Street and route utilities through a 20‑foot access drive; councilers and neighbors debated density, stormwater and tree preservation.
The Southern Pines Town Council on Oct. 14 approved a conditional rezoning and preliminary plat that will allow a 16‑unit townhome development on Clark Street, after the council added conditions intended to limit impacts on nearby neighborhoods.
Planner Broadwell told the council that the property, about 1.5 acres, is currently zoned RM2 and the base zoning would allow 11 units. The applicant asked to rezone to RM1 conditional district to permit 16 townhomes; Broadwell said the planning board recommended denial “primarily citing density concerns,” but staff recommended approval under the town’s 2040 comprehensive plan because it supports ‘missing‑middle’ housing in appropriate locations.
Applicant Trevor Hansen, representing V3 Southeast, said the earlier, eight‑unit plan proved financially infeasible and the revised RM1‑CD plan makes the development viable while allowing the team to keep quality and save more trees. “This will allow the project to be a feasible project where we will be able to keep the housing prices within a reasonable range and then not sacrifice on the quality of the construction,” Hansen said. He confirmed the units will be two stories, correcting a repeated “three‑story” typo in the presentation.
Council members and neighbors pressed the applicant and staff on density, emergency access, parking, stormwater and tree protection. Broadwell and Hansen said the applicant added an emergency‑only Knox box gate at the Midlothian access so routine traffic will not use that connection, and that stormwater will be designed to meet the town’s pre‑post runoff requirements during site‑plan review. Broadwell said the project’s voluntary conditions include architectural standards, additional tree‑preservation measures and limits on when trees can be removed during construction.
Members of the public raised concerns about character, safety and utilities. Resident Hannah Haggerty asked, “Who is the target market?” and whether the units would affect emergency services, school access and street parking. Johnny Sanderson said he believed the site had been used as a dumping ground in the past; developer Travis Green acknowledged prior buried debris, said the property was tested and that they are “digging that out and putting back in suitable soils.”
After negotiating wording with staff and the applicant, the council approved the rezoning (file ZO‑05‑25) and attached modified conditions read into the record. Key elements include:
- Building height limited to 40 feet and two stories. - The shared private drive must be a minimum 20 feet wide and include an emergency‑access only gate (Knox box) adjacent to Midlothian Drive; pedestrian and bicycle ingress/egress and a public pedestrian/bicycle access easement are required around the gate. - The Clark Street entrance of the shared private drive shall serve as the main construction entrance during construction; construction traffic shall not be allowed to park on Clark Street or Midlothian Drive except for critical project elements requiring street work. - Water and sewer lines shall connect via the 20‑foot access drive with service laterals feeding the townhouse units from that drive.
Council also approved the corresponding preliminary plat (MAP‑04‑25) in a subsequent quasi‑judicial evidentiary hearing after staff entered the report into the record and confirmed the plat matched the approved conditional zoning plan. The council adopted findings of fact and the preliminary plat was approved.
What happens next: stormwater design, detailed utility routing, tree‑protection fencing and final site‑plan review will occur during the technical review process. Staff said stormwater measures (bioswales, cisterns and small ponds) must meet town standards and will be verified in site‑plan review. The applicant and staff said they will refine condition language to require the emergency gate and clarify construction‑traffic routing before final approvals.
The decision reflects the council’s stated interest in accommodating ‘missing‑middle’ housing near the downtown core while placing specific conditions intended to reduce neighborhood impacts. The council’s final vote carried after members affirmed the modified conditions.
