The request for the rezoning faced strong opposition from members of the adjacent New Irving Park community, who packed the council chambers and voiced their objections during the public hearing.
Reprint from The Greensboro News & Record
April 15, 2025
The Greensboro City Council approved a rezoning on Tuesday that would allow up to eight new townhomes at the intersection of Pisgah Church Road and Willoughby Boulevard.
The request for the rezoning faced strong opposition from members of the adjacent New Irving Park community, who packed the council chambers and voiced their objections during the public hearing.
Residents said that while they were fine with developer B.J. Johnson building up to two single-family homes on the 0.86-acre property in line with the previous zoning, they opposed the rezoning for townhomes.
The opponents said townhomes did not fit in with the character of the neighborhood since there were no townhomes around Willoughby.
“It’s inappropriate to put a bunch of townhouses right next to all of these single-family homes,” nearby resident Gabe Neereimer said, adding that allowing the project would set a bad precedent of bringing similar developments to other parts of the New Irving Park and the city overall.
Other major concerns included traffic safety at the intersection and drainage problems in the area.
Johnson, the developer, pointed to some changes he made to the plans, including reducing the number of units from 10 down to eight and limiting access to the property to two points on Willoughby.
He said neighbors had legitimate concerns and that initial phases would bring challenges, but that ultimately the project would become an asset for the neighborhood.
“It’s not going to be easy, but it can be done responsibly,” Johnson said. “It can be done well, and I believe looking 20 years in the future we’ll be really happy with the amount of trees that are planted, how sustainable that lot will be and the beauty that it’s going to create for the neighborhood.”
Speakers in support of the development included Peter Grantham, who said he lived near the site and was in favor of the project because he believed additional housing was needed to address affordability challenges.
Crystal Black and Cheryl McIvor of east Greensboro pointed to the council’s previous approval of projects in that part of the city over similar objections from residents and called on the council members to be consistent in their votes.
Councilman Zack Matheny, himself a resident of New Irving Park, was the most vocal opponent of the rezoning, saying that the proposal “doesn’t revitalize, this ravages.”
He echoed many of the arguments made by the speakers and said the proposed development would be inappropriate in other parts of the city as well.
Matheny, like other members of the council, has spoken of the need to increase the city’s housing supply.
“There is a road to 10,000 – I do support the manager,” Matheny said, referencing City Manager Trey Davis’ proposal to add at least 10,000 new housing units in the coming years. “But I also support neighborhoods, and I support the folks that care about the neighborhoods.”
He added: “I don’t support this development, not just because I live in the neighborhood. Because it’s not compatible in the land use of what is on this street and in this area. There is no reason to go against a properly planned neighborhood.”
Matheny’s comments drew applause from the crowd while the reception to most other members of council was not nearly as popular.
The council voted 6-2 to approve the rezoning. Only Mayor Pro Tem Marikay Abuzuaiter joined Matheny in opposing the rezoning.
Mayor Nancy Vaughan, Councilman Hugh Holston and Councilwomen Nancy Hoffmann, Sharon Hightower, Goldie Wells and Jamilla Pinder backed the rezoning. Councilwoman Tmami Thurm was absent.
Both Hoffmann and Wells told the neighbors that they would likely have a more positive outlook on the development as time passes.
“I think time helps dissipate opposition,” Hoffmann said.
Wells agreed, saying: “I’m telling you from experience: life changes and you get along much better if you go with the flow.”
She also said the city’s housing shortage will require the council to make decisions that may be at odds with the desires of various neighborhoods.
“Everybody might as well get used to it, because when these things come to us, we are going to have to make decisions that are best for Greensboro, not for individual communities,” she said. “So we’ve got people fussing at us from the east, fussing at us from the west, north, south, all over because we tried to do what is right, and it’s not easy.”
Holston echoed the sentiment.
“It’s going to mean that we’re all going to have to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, and that means density,” he said. “That means being a little bit closer to others than we were before.”