Council hears Mount Jubilee proposal for housing and services for adults with disabilities; conditional rezoning recommended by staff

Mount Jubilee Ministries presented a conditional rezoning request to rezone an approximately 11.66‑acre Rockingham County parcel (parcel 186630) from a mixed designation of R‑20 and Highway Business (HB) to HB with voluntary limitations on allowable uses.

Drew Bigelow, the planning and community development director, outlined site conditions: the parcel lies entirely in the Jordan Lake watershed and largely in the Troublesome Creek watershed, subjecting non‑single family uses to a 24% build‑upon limit. City water and sewer mains lie in nearby rights‑of‑way, though the site will need NCDOT approvals for connections at state rights‑of‑way. Planning staff found the request consistent with the land development plan and recommended approval; the planning board had recommended approval unanimously.

Jesse Madder, executive director of Mount Jubilee Ministries, said the organization — founded more than 20 years ago in Reidsville and serving Rockingham, Guilford and Forsyth counties — seeks to create residential and program space for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including year‑round day programs and supportive residences. Steven Owen of McAdams Engineering described a concept plan showing residential clusters, green space and a multi‑use building for retail, meeting space and amenities; he said neighborhood outreach had produced broadly supportive feedback.

A council member moved to approve the recommended conditional rezoning text amendment; the motion was seconded and the chair called for a vote. The transcript records the motion and vote call but does not record an explicit tally.

Staff indicated that because this is a limited‑use conditional rezoning, a concept site plan is not required, and any major future changes to density or use would require subsequent review by the planning board and council.