Greensboro City Council approves rezoning for townhome project despite opposition

The Greensboro City Council recently approved a rezoning request on Tuesday that could pave the way for a new townhome project.

The change could allow developer BJ Johnson to build up to eight luxury townhomes at the intersection of Pisgah Church Road and Willoughby Boulevard. But a dozen residents of the New Irving Park community spoke out against it, voicing concerns about traffic and environmental issues, among other things.

Council member Zack Matheny, who lives in New Irving Park, says the proposal would harm the community, not help it.

"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," he says. "There's no reason to go against a properly planned neighborhood."

The city council voted 6-2 to rezone the property from single-family to multi-family with Mayor Pro Tem Marikay Abuzuaiter joining Matheny in voting against it.

Council member Hugh Holston, who supported the rezoning, says housing diversity is important for the city's future.

"We need attainable, we need missing middle, we need the white picket fences," Holston says. "We need all of it because if we're not growing then we're dying."

There's no word yet on when the townhomes could be constructed.