Garner Planning Commission Unanimously Votes “No” Against Monster Development in Wake County, NC

November 13, 2023

WOW!

A developer in Raleigh, NC applied in early 2023 to rezone a 74-acre property in unincorporated Wake County that has been zoned as “Recreational” for decades. This property lies within the protected Swift Creek Watershed and is surrounded by acres long-standing pine and hard wood trees separating it from a neighborhood of modest single-family homes. The applicant asked that the property would be re-zoned to a mixed-use development at up to 70% impervious surface, with 800 rental units and commercial space put in. There has been public outcry since the start, with two heated Town Council meetings in 2023 and multiple local news outlets (News & Observer and WRAL) covering the case.

Existing pond on part of the property, thought to be connected underground to the Swift Creek Watershed

Eventually, the Town Council had to move the application forward to the Garner Planning Commission, a board of volunteer community members. In advance of the meeting, we worked within the community to

1) Generate multiple emails sent to Planning Commission members sharing our concerns for the environment and

2) Submit a Records Request to the Town of Garner for all email correspondence to date asking for opposition to the application, and passed the files along to the Planning Commission

3) Communicated with the Planning Commission to learn more about their process and the way they prefer to receive public input at their meetings

4) Held a community meeting to compile concerns and select 2 speakers to represent the neighborhood at the Planning Commission

5) Worked together to write a script for the two speakers, summarizing the community’s concerns that were relevant to Planning Commission and all implications with the Land Use Plan, Swift Creek Watershed Land Management Plan, etc.

After a 3.5 hour meeting, the Planning Commission unanimously voted “NO” on the application! They cited concerns involving lack of consistency and reasonableness with the current Town of Garner Land Use Plan, refusal of the applicant to provide a 100-year flood plan, density of residential compared to commercial space, lack of open space, out-of-date traffic impact analysis, and lack of compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.

THANK YOU to the Town of Garner Planning Commission for speaking up for the community and advocating for better, more responsible growth moving forward! We are immensely grateful for your service and commitment to your town!