RALEIGH, N.C. — UPDATE: The second reading of House Bill 909 was passed by the NC House of Representatives on Wednesday, June 26. The bill will likely be on Thursday's calendar where it will be read a third time, according to House Speaker Tim Moore. If it passes a third reading, it becomes law.
North Carolina lawmakers could approve a plan Wednesday to take land away from the Town of Summerfield.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on House Bill 909, which involves the de-annexation of about 1,000 acres. People opposing the bill were in Raleigh Wednesday, making their voices heard ahead of the vote.
If this law is approved, it clears the way for developer David Couch to move forward with his project known as the "Villages of Summerfield Farms." Within the project, Couch plans to build hundreds of apartments and homes.
Over the years, Summerfield and Couch have not come to an agreement over the land.
During Wednesday's demonstration Summerfield Mayor Pro-Tem, Lynne Williams DeVaney recalled back in March when new council wrote a letter asking Couch for a local resolution. DeVaney said the developer did not respond favorably.
"House of Representatives, your only vote today is a vote 'no' for House Bill 909 vote no, support our citizens, keep Summerfield intact," DeVaney pleaded.
Senator Phil Berger has been at the forefront of these efforts. Berger said he felt it was time for the legislature to step in, setting up Wednesday's vote. Additionally, Berger said the town has been unwilling to take reasonable steps to accommodate what he calls a 'reasonable request' by Couch concerning the development of his property.
"Look at the development within the town and ask yourself whether or not the development there includes any housing that would be appropriate as starter homes. Is there any development there? Are there any apartments? Are there any multi-family dwellings? Or do we have a situation where it's almost exclusively single-family homes on acre or more lots," explained Senator Berger.
Since it is a local bill, it would not go to Gov. Roy Cooper for vetoing power.
Couch released the following statement to WFMY News 2:
“For nearly a decade, all I’ve wanted to do is use my private property – in a town that I love and call home – to construct new homes for people according to a beautiful plan created by the world-renowned design firm, Dover, Kohl & Partners. And for quite a long time, Summerfield’s government has manipulated its zoning code to only allow homes in a certain price range. It has most recently stopped at nothing to prevent me from using my private property for my intended purpose.
“Our state is in the midst of a boom decade. We’ve been CNBC’s No. 1 state for business two years in a row, and thousands of new jobs are now moving into the Triad. The people who will fill those jobs – blue collar and white collar and any other collar – need places to live, or else housing will become even more unaffordable than it is right now.
“I’m thankful that policymakers recognized the current dysfunction of Summerfield’s local government, and the importance of reasonable rules that accommodate new housing. It’s been an exhausting time in my life, and I’m hopeful now for a path forward.”
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