Developer withdraws Skeet Club request
Jan. 5—HIGH POINT — A controversial proposal for a shopping center in north High Point on Tuesday was withdrawn.
Attorney Andy Harris told the City Council that his client, Halvorsen Development Corp. of Boca Raton, Florida, had instructed him to withdraw its application to rezone 12 acres at the southeast corner of Skeet Club Road and Johnson Street to support a grocery store, restaurants and retail space.
The move came after the council declined to continue the case until next month to allow more time for the applicant to work with city staff on zoning conditions.
City planners and an advisory board in October recommended denial of the rezoning, which also drew strong opposition from neighbors, including a large contingent at council Tuesday.
The council in November granted a request for a delay from the developer, but made it clear this time that it was ready to move forward with the case.
"I think we were very gracious — and I still stand behind it — that we did the right thing granting a continuance, but I think this council, these citizens, need an answer tonight," said Councilman Victor Jones, who represents the area surrounding the zoning site.
Halvorsen has developed roughly 80 shopping centers throughout the Southeast that are anchored by Publix grocery stores, according to its website.
The representatives for the company never made public whether this was a potential tenant, but one of the objections to the project that neighbors raised was their view that there are already sufficient grocery and retail amenities available in the general area.
They collected signatures and presented petitions against the zoning case, which they argued would allow commercial development incompatible with the surrounding area, virtually all of which is residential.
Residents also cited concerns about traffic and safety and the preservation of the historic Mendenhall-Blair House on the site.
The developer was asking the city to change the zoning of the property from residential single-family to a conditional zoning retail center use and conditional zoning limited business.
Officials determined the city's long-term plans for the area don't support commercial development there at the intensity requested by the applicant.
Since the November continuance, Senior Planner Herb Shannon said the applicant did offer concessions such as allowing only one major restaurant use on the site, but that did not change the staff recommendation of denial.
pkimbrough@hpenews.com — 336-888-3531
