GREENSBORO, N.C. — People living off Friendly Avenue in Greensboro weren't shy about expressing how they felt regarding a proposed housing development.
More than 200 people showed up to a meeting Monday. Nearly everyone was opposed to the idea of constructing 22 townhomes on Friendly Avenue and Rodman Road, west of the Friendly Center.
This comes after the developer, Glenn Drew, walked back his initial proposal of 26 townhomes back in August of this year. Although this new proposal is smaller, neighbors aren't happy with the idea of anything other than single-family homes in this area.
"So, 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 of over 19 years, Art Close said.
"The thing that bothers me as much as anything is the fact that they're supposed to be rental units, rather than single-family owned homes," Friendly Avenue resident of over 27 years, Tom Statham said.
Below is a picture of the area where the developer would build the 22 townhomes; it's developer Glenn Drew's land.
Drew was not at Monday night's meeting; instead, his lawyer, Bo Rodenbough with Brooks Pierce Law Firm, shared plans and took questions from the frustrated crowd. When asked why this development would be a good thing, his answer was interrupted by several people who disagreed.
"We believe this is an attractive development that will enhance the value of the community and also add to the much-needed housing stock in the City of Greensboro," Rodenbough said.
Rodenbough denied WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman's request for an interview.
It was clear the vast majority of people at Monday's meeting were against the idea of townhomes but they insist they aren't anti-development. They just don't want the development next to their homes.
"We have a big development going on on the corner over at Friendly Shopping Center, that's fine. There's a lot of housing around here and so, we would just like, within the middle of our neighborhood to keep it what it is right now which is single-family homes, not against development at all," Friendly Avenue resident of 53 years, Jeannie Hager said.
Both the developer and residents will be able to share their thoughts at a zoning meeting next Monday, Nov.20, 2023.