Planning board recommends conditional rezoning for 137‑acre Gibbs Lake Road site for 274 homes

The Reidsville Planning Board voted to recommend that City Council approve a conditional rezoning (docket Z‑20251) for a roughly 137.25‑acre parcel on Gibbs Lake Road to an initial City designation of Conditional Zoning R‑12 (CZR‑12), a plan that would allow 274 single‑family detached homes under the applicant’s concept master plan.

Planning staff presented the petition from Legacy Investment and Development LLC and said the property owner is the Richardson Family Trust. Staff noted the rezoning is an initial zoning designation that is contingent on voluntary annexation; the owner must submit the annexation petition and Council will consider annexation before rezoning. Jason, the planning staff presenter, told the board that "the zoning is contingent upon approval of the annexation request." The packet lists the combined parcel area at about 137.248 acres and the concept plan as 274 single‑family detached dwellings.

Staff emphasized infrastructure constraints. The presentation said existing water and sewer mains are located near the site, but sewer service for the development would require upgrades to the Forest Drive pump station. Staff said funds have been allocated for design but not for pump‑station construction; City Manager Summer More later told the board the pump‑station redesign is funded for design work and is expected to reach design completion by summer. More said the city is advancing a CIP and working with the county on a wastewater‑treatment study to plan long‑term capacity.

The applicant’s representatives told the board they support the proposal and offered technical context. Blain Jackson, representing Legacy Investment and Development, introduced project team members and said the Public Works director "has done a a job decent job of calming our nerves" regarding sewer capacity. Engineer Vince Townson said the project would be built in multiple phases and estimated it could be about two years before significant wastewater flow is generated from the site, an argument he offered to reduce near‑term pressure on pump‑station capacity. Developer partner David Clark noted the project team installed a sidewalk on Gibbs Lake Road and said that pedestrian improvement supported their request to reduce side‑yard setbacks.

Nearby residents urged caution. Mark Krauss, who lives on Forest Drive behind the parcel, said many neighbors oppose the proposal because it "doesn't fit with the character of the rest of the area" and raised traffic and single‑access concerns about Gibbs Lake Road. He asked who would pay for required infrastructure upgrades and warned that taxpayers could shoulder costs he believes should be the developer’s responsibility.

On technical points, staff said cluster‑development provisions remove minimum lot‑size requirements but do not waive underlying setback standards; the conditional zoning request seeks a reduction in side‑yard setbacks to 5 feet on interior lots and 10 feet on corner lots, which staff said is reasonable in this watershed context to reduce the development footprint. Staff also noted required stream buffers under the Jordan Lake/ Troublesome Creek watershed rules and that flood maps show no floodplain on the site.

After discussion, a board member moved to "recommend the proposed rezoning be approved for the specified parcels" based on the statements of consistency and reasonableness in the packet. The motion was seconded and carried by raised‑hand vote; board members present at roll call were Thomas Thompson, Tamar Libom, Dylan Moore, Cindy Scarboro, Joe Towns and William Roach. The board’s recommendation now goes to City Council, which must consider annexation and, if approved, the rezoning.

The planning staff packet and the board discussion stressed that approval of the concept plan does not allow construction to start: the developer must complete preliminary plat and construction‑plan reviews and obtain technical approvals, and any major changes to density or access would require additional review.

Next steps: the item will appear before Reidsville City Council for annexation consideration; if annexation is approved, Council will consider the rezoning and any accompanying conditions.