Aberdeen commissioners approve rezoning and annexation of 39.46-acre PD Road parcel amid neighbors' concerns

The Town of Aberdeen on a voice vote approved a zoning map amendment (ZA-25-01) to rezone 39.46 acres along PD Road/Parkway Drive from Light Industrial to R-10 and separately approved a voluntary annexation of the same parcel (AN-25-01). Planning staff had recommended the rezoning and the planning board made a unanimous favorable recommendation at its Jan. 16 meeting.

Planning staff described the site as largely vegetated and noted about a 50-foot drop in elevation across the parcel, which staff said would likely limit heavy industrial uses. The staff report compared the proposed R-10 uses to current LI allowances and concluded the R-10 designation would be compatible and likely reduce the potential for noise, odor and other disturbances relative to industrial uses. Staff also pointed out that a site plan had not been submitted and that annexation and technical plan review would follow if the zoning change was approved.

John Foley, an adjoining landowner, told commissioners he was "not specifically opposed to the zoning change" but urged caution because a conventional rezoning does not bind an applicant to the specific development concept shown at the hearing. "You have no assurances that this is gonna be residential," Foley said, asking the board either to delay a decision or seek stronger assurances from the developer. Planning staff and the mayor responded that under North Carolina law the board cannot attach conditions to a conventional rezoning and that a conditional rezoning or subsequent approvals would be the mechanism to secure specific commitments.

Other nearby residents and property owners raised concerns about tree clearing, wildlife displacement, traffic and safety on PD Road, and stormwater impacts. Gauthier, who identified himself as the owner of a horse farm adjacent to the site, asked that rear setbacks and vegetative buffers be preserved; staff noted R-10 rear setbacks of 25 feet for structures and said open-space placement and additional buffers could be encouraged during the subdivision and technical review process but cannot be strictly required as part of a conventional rezoning.

A representative for the applicant described an initial concept that would yield roughly 75 to 80 detached single'family lots and said the proposed density was about half of the maximum theoretical yield under R-10. The representative confirmed no formal site plan had been filed and that further review, annexation approvals and technical plan review would occur if the rezoning were approved.

After hearings and discussion the board first voted to adopt a staff-drafted statement of reasonableness and consistency with the town's land-use plan (the board recorded that the vote on that motion was 4'to—1). The board then voted to approve the zoning map amendment and later approved the voluntary annexation petition for PID 00056777, allowing the applicant access to town water and sewer.

What's next: Annexation and rezoning approvals permit the applicant to proceed to annexation formalities and then to submit subdivision and technical plans for town review; any conditions or changes to open-space placement, buffers, stormwater design and road layouts would be addressed in that subsequent review. The transcript shows planning staff will continue coordinating review and encouraged neighbors to participate in the later technical-review stages.

(The board meeting transcript does not specify a final project timeline or a filing date for a formal site plan; where transcript numbers or financial figures in other parts of the meeting appeared inconsistent, this article notes the issue and does not infer corrected figures.)