The number and quality of companies that have chosen to locate in Guilford County in recent years has been something of an embarrassment of riches. But, now, local governments, economic development officials and private property owners are doing what they can to provide more housing to handle the influx of new workers.
The question of whether yet more rural county land – about a hundred acres in Stokesdale – should be turned into residential property will be discussed and ruled on in mid-December.
The Stokesdale Town Council has announced plans to hold a public hearing at the Town Council’s regular meeting on Thursday, Dec. 12 to decide whether it makes sense to rezone the property located on the north side of US Highway 158, about 3,400 feet east of the intersection of US Highway 158 with NC Highway 68N.
The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. inside the Stokesdale Town Hall Council Chambers at 8325 Angel-Pardue Road in Stokesdale.
In many similar rezoning cases over the years, there have been varying degrees of resistance to development from people who moved to a largely rural area because they want peace and quiet, light traffic and some of the other benefits of country living.
The citizens of Summerfield, for instance, have been in a near civil war over whether or not farmer and developer David Couch should be allowed to build a large residential and mixed-used complex in that town.
On the other hand, the housing shortage in Guilford County has driven prices sky high, which is a great thing for property owners except for the fact that it also drove their Guilford County property tax bills sky high. That’s because the county commissioners did not adjust the tax rate downward to compensate for the higher values after the 2022 countywide property revaluation conducted by the Guilford County Tax Department.
Approval of the move in Stokesdale by the Town Council would mean rezoning the land near US 158 from Agricultural and RS-40 (Single-Family Residential) to CZ-RS-30 (Conditional Single-Family Residential).
On December 12, the Stokesdale Planning Board will make a recommendation to the Town Council, which has the legal right to approve or deny the request.
Town planning staff have determined that this request is consistent with the Stokesdale Future Land Use Plan designation of Residential – so, if the rezoning is approved, a future land use plan amendment wouldn’t be necessary.
Also, the Town Council may approve the move and place conditions on the request, as long as they are agreed to by the property owners.
Stokesdale’s announcement of the hearing states, “Should the Town establish conditions that are not agreed to by the owners, then the Town could either deny the rezoning, or the Town would need to amend the conditions to be acceptable by the owners.”
Some conditions the developer has proposed as part of the rezoning request are that the maximum number of lots be 85 and that junked motor vehicles wouldn’t be permitted.
If anyone wants to find out more information about the proposed rezoning, they should call the Stokesdale Town Hall at 336-643-4011.
