GREENSBORO, N.C. — The request to rezone a popular neighborhood in Greensboro was denied Monday.
Greensboro's Planning and Zoning Commission voted against rezoning West Friendly Avenue in an 8-1 vote.
Commissioner Erica Glass was the only member who voted for the rezoning.
A second vote was made against developing a PUD also known as a planned unit development.
Commissioners voted unanimously against the building of the proposed PUD by local developer Glenn Drew.
It's a win for the hundreds of people living off W. Friendly Avenue who's been advocating against this proposal.
Developer Glenn Drew was not at Monday meeting but his lawyer, Bo Rodenbough said this development would actually help solve a density problem in the area.
"It both address the need for additional housing and more accessible housing in Greensboro and we have made significant concessions to the neighbors in these conditions that we have sited. For example, the statement was made that we had not made any concessions to the neighbors with respect to the density," Rodenbough said.
Density is one of the main reasons so many neighbors are against this development but Drew's lawyer is right, there have been some concessions. The original proposal was for 26 townhomes but was reduced to 22 townhomes.
Neighbors told WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman it's still too many.
"Insertion of a 4.4 acre planned unit development in this section of W. Friendly disrupts the density of the surrounding neighborhood and is completely out of context," Friendly Avenue resident, Steven Freyaldhoven.
Another reason so many are against development is because they say it'll change the character of the neighborhoods off Friendly Avenue.
"This rezoning request by CZS Development will no doubt change the character of our neighborhood. Something the city has vowed to protect in its Greensboro 2040 plan," Friendly Avenue resident, Nikki Kohut said.
"It's really kind of tough that we now have a guy who's saying, 'Well, I'm just gonna put townhomes in the middle of single-family dwellings,'" Friendly Avenue resident, Art Close said.
"We are not against development. However, what Mr. Drew is proposing changes the entire look and feel of our low density single-family home neighborhood and sets a precedent of allowing more dense and inconsistent development into one of the largest and most established areas of stable R3 zoning in the city," Friendly Avenue resident, Eric Estep said.
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