Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hope Mills approves rezoning to R‑5 to allow three new buildings at Church Street Apartments
Summary
The board approved changing nearly six acres from R‑6 to R‑5 to allow the Church Street Apartments owner to add three two‑story buildings (12 units each) and increase the complex from 64 to about 100 units. Neighbors raised traffic, school and emergency access concerns; the board noted those issues are handled during plan review.
The Town of Hope Mills Board of Commissioners on April 21 approved a request to rezone about 5.95 acres near 3700 Damian Drive from R‑6 to R‑5 to accommodate higher‑density residential development at the existing Church Street Apartments.
Planning staff said the change is intended to permit medium‑density residential development consistent with surrounding apartment complexes; the Cumberland County joint planning board had recommended approval. The applicant’s consultant, Jeremy Sparrow, told the board the developer intends to build three new two‑story buildings of 12 units each — 36 additional units that would bring the complex’s total to about 100 units.
Neighbors speaking at the public hearing raised concerns about increased traffic on narrow Church Street, morning and school‑related congestion by Hope Mills Middle School, emergency vehicle access and the need for developers to provide community benefits or infrastructure contributions. Commissioners emphasized that technical details such as traffic impacts, fire access and school‑capacity implications are reviewed during site plan and plan‑review steps by the relevant agencies (DOT, fire, county schools), and that zoning hearings are limited to whether a property should carry a particular classification.
A motion to approve the R‑5 rezoning carried; the transcript records the chair announcing the motion carried and contains the remark 'it’s 4‑1' when the result was read. The transcript does not attribute the motion to a specific mover or seconder by name.
Next steps: the developer must submit site plans and obtain plan‑review approvals (traffic, fire, utilities, school‑capacity notifications) before building permits would be issued.
