Glenwood Rezoning may be postponed

Former Greensboro City Councilman and local lawyer Don Vaughn, who appears on the Dusty Dunn morning show every other Tuesday, mentioned this morning that he thinks that no decision will be made at the City Council meeting tonight about the controversial rezoning on Freeman Mill Road.

Mr. Vaughan, who apparently represents the Glenwood Neighborhood Association, has another obligation tonight and will not be able to attend the Greensboro City Council meeting.

This item is still listed on the official city council agenda, with a note that the public hearing has not been closed. I know that there has been at least one meeting between the neighborhood association and the potential developer of this property since the last City Council meeting. I received an e-mail from a Glenwood resident saying that the developer's lawyer proposed to the neighbors that instead of an apartment complex, the developer would build condos instead. The buildings and layout would be about the same, but the buildings would be put up for sale to individual buyers.

The neighborhood association thinks that most of the property, as proposed, would be bought by investors for rental because of the appearance and location of the buildings.

One of my major objections to building approximately 60 living units on this property is that it will be a private cul-de-sac type road with one entrance/exit point onto a busy road with a median limiting left turns and the exit/entrance point will be on a blind curve. Because of the right in, right out limits at the entrance, traffic heading into downtown Greensboro will be required to make a U turn at the nearest intersection or drive onto Freeman Mill Road, then turn right and drive through the neighborhood to make its way back to Freeman Mill Road. I have other objections, but this traffic problem bothers me.

Many residents of the area and other concerned citizens have attended meeting after meeting about this rezoning application. I hope a ruling against this request will be forthcoming soon.

This rezoning decision will be a defining example of things to come in the area and of how the new City Council defines "Smart Growth."

What do you think?