Sept. 19 - Oct. 16, 2024
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since November1996
Summerfield’s new manager pledges ‘open-door policy’ Charles “Twig” Rollins starts as Summerfield’s permanent manager Oct. 13. In an interview after his hiring earlier this month, the 59-year-old Wilmington native talked about what people in Summerfield can expect from him and what he expects to bring to the town. Rollins will earn an annual salary of $140,000 plus benefits.
IN THIS ISSUE Stokesdale clerk adds title of administrator.............2 Summerfield’s History Committee regroups.............3 Local ties of would-be Trump assassin......................4 Heritage Day returns to Oak Ridge Sept. 28.............7 Welcome to our new advertisers.................................8 In Memoriam.................................................................12 NWO Business and Real Estate Briefs........................15 NW homebuilders heartened by falling rates........20 NWO on the go!.............................................................23 Summerfield TC Sept. 10 meeting highlights..........24 S’dale Town Council Sept. 12 meeting highlights.... 30 Oak Ridge TC Sept. 5 meeting highlights................34 NWHS Vikings football..................................................39 NWO Kids’ Korner..........................................................40 Northern Nighthawks football....................................41 RidgeFest 2024 draws record crowds.......................42 Crime/Incident Report.................................................43 Community Calendar.................................................44 Grins and Gripes...........................................................46 From the editor..............................................................50 Classifieds.......................................................................51 Index of Advertisers......................................................55
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I’m not one to back away from a challenge.” Charles “Twig” Rollins, Summerfield’s new town manager as of Oct. 13
Meet the new manager and read his answers to our questions on p. 48
Zoning of Couch’s I-73 land takes a step back Guilford County’s Planning Board couldn’t agree on how to zone nearly 150 acres of David Couch’s property so it asked the planning staff to come back with a new recommendation
engulfed Summerfield over development of the land between Summerfield Road and I-73.
by CHRIS BURRITT
Twice since last month, the board has failed to agree on Couch’s request to rezone property at N.C. 150 and I-73 where the developer has proposed building apartments and Saunders Village, a retail and commercial development. Last week, as public comments and the board’s discussion dragged on past two hours, some board members said they weren’t comfortable with staff’s recommendation to zone some of the property as general business (GB), which allows multifamily houses, including apartments.
SUMMERFIELD – Landowner David Couch’s years-long effort to develop his property with Summerfield’s first apartments didn’t actually end with the legislative de-annexation of his nearly 1,000 acres in June. Now that Couch’s land falls under Guilford County’s jurisdiction, the zoning of his nearly 150 acres on N.C. 150 and Interstate 73 is off to a sputtering start. Meeting last week, the county’s Planning Board members veered off topic, while Couch’s lawyer Tom Terrell sparred with Summerfield council members Janelle Robinson and Heath Clay in a replay of the discord that
“I certainly recognize that there’s no shortage of animosity among folks who’ve been involved in this for a period of time,” Chair James Donnelly said during the board’s meeting Wednesday, Sept. 11. But he added, “I think we are getting pretty far afield from the matter that is before us tonight.”
The GB designation “doesn’t provide any framework” for specifying the density of apartments
...continued on p. 16