SUMMERFIELD, N.C. — A Guilford County development project moves forward tonight despite intense debate.
The owner of Summerfield Farms wants to bring hundreds of homes and develop nearly one-thousand acres.
However, he needed approval to change zoning laws, and Thursday night he got it.
WFMY News 2's Grace Holland was there as dozens shared their thoughts.
Within the past hour, the plan to change zoning rules was passed 3 to 2.
Up until then, it was deja vu for a lot of the people who spoke tonight. The town council voted down a zoning change after hearing from the community at a meeting last Spring.
David Couch who owns Summerfield farms made some tweaks to his original proposal. He wants to develop 900-plus acres into housing, retail, and trails. One of the most notable was decreasing the number of apartments he's asking the town to allow in their zoning rules. Currently, apartments are not allowed under the town's zoning.
Like before, most people disagree with allowing these zoning changes.
"Yeah, you know being Summerfield is a smaller town, the infrastructure is not there yet. But seeing with this, I understand this is going to be a catalyst for a lot of things," Couch said.
Some think the development is a good idea because Couch's plan includes more green space and could open Summerfield up to new residents.
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