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Aberdeen board rezones and annexes 39.46-acre Parkway Drive parcel over resident concerns
Summary
The Aberdeen Board of Commissioners on Feb. 24 approved rezoning 39.46 acres east of Pee Dee Road from Light Industrial to R-10 and unanimously annexed the same parcel into town limits; the rezoning carried 4-1 amid resident concerns about traffic, buffering and tree loss.
The Aberdeen Town Board voted Feb. 24 to rezone and annex a 39.46-acre parcel east of Pee Dee Road (ZA-25-01 / Annexation #25-01), approving the rezoning 4-1 and the annexation unanimously.
Assistant Planning Director Chad Hall told the Board the request from Old Village Enterprises, LLC would change the parcel from Light Industrial to R-10 and that water and sewer service are available. Hall said staff and the Planning Board recommended approval, noting the property’s topography — about a 50-foot drop east to west — would likely limit heavy industrial development and that R-10 is consistent with several Comprehensive Plan objectives.
"Water and sewer are currently available for this property," Hall said, and the Planning Board made a unanimous recommendation for approval on Jan. 16, 2025.
Several adjoining property owners urged caution during a public hearing. John Foley, who owns land next to the parcel, said he preferred residential use but asked the Board to make rezoning contingent on a limit of 80 homes. Town Manager Paul Sabiston responded, "By law the Board can not put conditions on a rezoning." Resident Alison Edgerly raised safety and traffic concerns at the Pee Dee Road/NC 211 intersection and asked for buffers: "I do not want kids to get hurt by trespassing on my property," she said. Residents also asked for fencing and tree buffers along property lines.
Commissioner Tim Helms moved to adopt the staff-drafted Statement of Reasonableness and Land Development Plan Consistency; the motion passed 4-1 with Commissioner Teressa Beavers dissenting. Helms then moved to approve the rezoning ordinance; the Board approved the ordinance 4-1, with Beavers voting no.
The annexation followed immediately after. Assistant Director Hall said the parcel lies within the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction and meets statutory standards for voluntary annexation, including contiguity and serviceability. The Board approved an ordinance extending Aberdeen's corporate limits to include the parcel on a 5-0 vote (motion by Mayor Pro-tem Bryan Bowles, seconded by Commissioner Wilma Laney).
What the actions mean: rezoning to R-10 allows medium-density residential development under Aberdeen’s Unified Development Ordinance; annexation brings the parcel into town jurisdiction and makes it eligible for town services, but any future development will require site plans, subdivision review and applicable utilities extensions. Assistant Planning Director Hall and Planning Director Pam Graham said additional approvals and design steps would be required before construction.
Next steps: The developer must submit formal subdivision and site plans and comply with the town’s water and sewer extension policies; the Board did not set any development-specific conditions during the rezoning.
Votes at a glance: Statement of Reasonableness (ZA-25-01) — passed 4-1; Rezoning ordinance (ZA-25-01) — passed 4-1; Annexation ordinance (AN-25-01) — passed 5-0.
