Guilford Planning Board delays zoning remaining portion of de-annexed land from Summerfield

The Guilford County Planning Board on Wednesday pushed off zoning the remaining portion of land de-annexed from the town of Summerfield.

The planning board voted 4-3 to send the case back to staff to consider alternative zoning instead of the proposed General Business, or GB, because it included multifamily developments.

Planning Board Chair James Donnelly said he had some worries about limitations and would be more interested in considering a specific development, allowing members to assess its impact.

"The piece that I have a concern about is that where we have as a county in many places, multifamily development, we've got zones for a multifamily," Donelly said. "And GB does not provide any framework."

This is the latest step in a saga connected to the town of Summerfield and a controversial project that is currently being revamped. The state legislature de-annexed nearly 1,000 acres of land after a years-long back-and-forth between developer David Couch and town officials.

The Guilford County Planning Board will next meet on Oct. 9.