GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — A controversial topic in Guilford County will add a new chapter later this week.
We've shared updates about a development proposal in Summerfield for several years.
It eventually got the attention of state lawmakers.
Leaders in the town of Summerfield said they wish the issues surrounding the development never made their way to state lawmakers.
They said this matter should be handled on a town level because that's who it will impact.
Despite their views, state lawmakers will vote on House Bill 5 on Thursday. If approved it would de-annex nearly a thousand acres of land from the town of Summerfield.
It would make way for hundreds of apartments, homes and commercial developments called the Villages of Summerfield Farms.
The developer brought his plans before state lawmakers when the town refused to release the land and make it a part of the city of Greensboro.
"We're against de-annexation. We don't want the heart of Summerfield to be ripped out," said Summerfield Mayor Pro-Tem Lynne DeVaney.
DeVaney said they welcome the development but without sacrificing a good chunk of the town.
"We would lose our tax base and that's huge because we are a small municipality," DeVaney said. "If it happened to us it will happen to other towns across North Carolina."
Democratic state senator Michael Garrett agreed and said he would not vote for the bill when it goes before the Senate.
"Raleigh shouldn't be meddling in local government affairs just because we might disagree with a policy decision," Garrett said.
Garrett said there's a better way to handle the housing crisis.
"We need to look at the state as a whole and how we address housing and how we can reinform our zoning laws that make it easier for development in environmentally and sustainable ways," Garrett said.
WFMY News 2 has reached out to the republican lawmakers representing Guilford County several times but have not heard back.
The last time we heard from Senator Phil Berger he said he was in support of de-annexation.