Greensboro City Council approves East Gate City Boulevard Plan to shape new growth

Greensboro City Council has approved a plan to guide growth and future investment along East Gate City Boulevard.

City council voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of the planning document that looks at the area from Freeman Mill Road to Interstate 40.

The area plan aims to maintain strong, quality housing for neighborhoods. It will also serve as a tool for communities to advocate for changes they would like to see.

In a prepared statement, resident Dominic Mercurio says the document is an opportunity for the city to reaffirm its commitment to east Greensboro.

"Too often economic growth comes at the expense of surrounding neighborhoods and without regard for what is truly needed in those neighborhoods," Mercurio says. "The adoption of this plan will provide a certain peace of mind to east Greensboro residents like myself who live in the adjacent neighborhoods that the city will not allow unregulated and unthoughtful growth at the expense of current residents."

Russ Clegg with the Greensboro Planning Department says the next steps include more long-term conversations about the corridor.