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Greensboro commission recommends 109‑acre Willow/Sharp Road housing plan amid neighbor objections
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended annexation and rezoning for a 109‑acre mixed single‑family and attached housing project on Willow/Sharp Road despite resident concerns about water pressure, traffic and creek buffers; the recommendation now moves to City Council on April 21, 2026.
The Greensboro Planning and Zoning Commission on March 16 recommended approval of a request to annex roughly 109 acres east of Willow Road and north of Sharp Road and to rezone the land to a conditioned RM‑5 district to allow a mix of single‑family homes, townhomes and duplexes.
Applicant representatives, including attorney Amanda Hodier and representatives of Homes, presented a concept plan and said they had held neighborhood meetings and conditioned the zoning to limit building height to 35 feet and to constrain density “well under” the unconstrained RM5 maximum. Hodier said the team had conducted a traffic impact analysis and noted water and sewer lines on Willow Road and Alamance Church Road could be extended to serve the site.
Neighbors who spoke in opposition said the area already suffers from poor water pressure and limited commercial amenities and warned the proposed project would add thousands of daily vehicle trips to local roads. “Those of us who live in the community know now that we have no water pressure basically and that we have a low quality of water,” said resident Fred Swood Jr., who also cited concerns about emergency access and the proximity to Buffalo Creek.
The developer acknowledged existing utility issues and said the project team and city technical staff would address service extensions and engineering requirements: “To the extent that [low water pressure] is an existing issue … we have the same interest and goal that that be remedied,” a representative said.
Commission discussion focused on plan consistency with the adopted GSO 2040 comprehensive plan and technical review processes that will control stormwater, driveway permits and any required road work. Staff noted the zoning request included conditions intended to lower density from what an unconditioned RM‑5 zoning would allow, and that technical review committee (TRC) review and permitting would determine final engineering details.
The commission voted to recommend annexation and the zoning change (annexation and zoning motions recorded in the public record). The recommendation is advisory; City Council will hold a public hearing on the items April 21, 2026. If Council approves, utility extensions, engineering and any roadway improvements required by TRC and NCDOT must still be designed and permitted before construction can proceed.
Residents who asked questions at the meeting were directed to staff and the applicant for follow‑up on technical details such as hours of construction, specific water‑system improvements and traffic mitigation measures.
