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Council approves Vernon Crossing rezoning after heated public hearing over density, drainage and traffic
Summary
After hours of public comment and technical response from the applicant, Winterville council approved a conditional R‑6 rezoning for Vernon Crossing (13.48 acres) with design commitments—8,000‑sq‑ft minimum lots, 1,800‑sq‑ft homes, front‑elevation masonry accents and a shared stormwater pond—despite neighbor opposition citing drainage and traffic concerns.
Winterville’s Town Council voted on June 8 to approve the conditional rezoning of a 13.48‑acre parcel near Railroad Street and Vernon White Road, a decision that followed nearly three hours of public hearing and competing expert testimony.
Residents from the nearby Waterford neighborhood urged council to deny the request, saying a move from larger lot zoning to R‑6 density would worsen existing drainage and traffic problems. “Our main concern is the density and the storm drainage,” said Michael Moore, a Waterford resident. He and others argued that undersized piping under Vernon White and at Beacon Drive has already caused flooding in Waterford and that additional impervious surface would increase runoff.
The applicant, represented by attorney Sam Frank (Ward & Smith) and engineer Brian Fangundis (Arc Consulting), responded with a technical approach: the application restricts the site to single‑family detached homes only, sets a minimum lot size of 8,000 square feet and a minimum 1,800 square‑foot home, requires brick or stone accents and two‑car garages, and commits to a storm‑water management pond on the north end of the site. “The site will include a stormwater pond designed to hold runoff and treat sediment before it is discharged,” Frank told council. Engineer Fangundis described a 60‑foot buffer arrangement (a 20‑ft existing easement, a 20‑ft proposed easement and a 20‑ft vegetative buffer) along the shared boundary to protect existing yards, and he said the applicant will maintain the shared drainage facility.
Frank framed the proposal as consistent with the town’s future land‑use plan and said the plan yields a density under 3 dwelling units per acre on the rezoned acreage—within the plan’s urban‑neighborhood target. He also argued the zoning change would prevent more intense uses that the current AR rules allow by‑right, such as a community recreation center, which could create worse traffic impacts.
Opponents cited the town’s 2023 denial of a prior application on similar grounds and said conditions proposed today did not sufficiently address traffic capacity on Railroad Street near the school, nor had the applicant done enough neighborhood engagement. “We are perfectly willing to have that property developed… but it should work together with the neighborhood,” Waterford speaker Jeff Foster said.
The town’s planning staff recommended approval and the planning & zoning board recommended the rezoning 8–1. On council, Councilwoman Smith moved to approve the conditional R‑6 rezoning; the motion was seconded by Mayor Pro Tim Robinson. After debate, the motion carried by majority vote; recorded dissent included Councilwoman Hawkins and Councilwoman Burrell. The council instructed staff to ensure the stated conditions and landscaping/buffering requirements are included in the rezoning ordinance and to review the subdivision preliminary plat and storm‑water details in later approvals.
Next steps: the developer will prepare construction plans and a preliminary plat for staff and board review; required construction drawings and technical stormwater designs must be approved before permits or building activity begin.
