Rezoning allows for new neighborhood near Bonterra Village

The red dashes represent annexation boundaries while yellow lines show current parcels. Photo courtesy of Town of Indian Trail

By Yustin Riopko

INDIAN TRAIL – Developers just received the go-ahead to build 127 houses and 119 townhomes on Poplin Road near Bonterra Village Way.

The Indian Trail Town Council voted Aug. 25 to approve the annexation and rezoning petitions that make Greenwich Downs possible.

John Ross, of Eagle Engineering, presented plans on behalf of Ingram Walters for Greenwich Downs at the Aug. 11 town council meeting.

“We believe the site works very well with the existing conditions—the existing topography of the site,” Ross said. “We have pedestrian paths surrounding the full perimeter of the single-family side and throughout the interior portions of the townhome side.”

Council members agreed.

“This project came to the county first, and had apartments, townhomes, a lot more density, a lot less amenities,” Councilman Jerry Morse said. “A lot less appealing if I was to live in that area. Somewhere along the line, they have redesigned it to just be townhomes and homes, which really fits into that area.”

Mayor Pro Tem Marcus McIntyre liked the project’s approach.

“Where the townhomes are proposed, they do fit in terms of what’s there being constructed,” McIntyre said. “I think it’s a good compromise in terms of removing the apartments and coming in with less density.”

Some neighbors of the 58.4-acre site disagree.

Throughout the rezoning process, Greenwich Downs was met with backlash from residents of Bonterra Village and Annandale, who have reached out to town council regarding concerns about public schools, traffic, water and sewer.

Town Planning Director Brandi Deese clarified that Indian Trail’s rezoning process doesn’t allow applicants to go before the planning board without verifying utilities are in order for their proposed projects.

“Union County Public Works is currently working on an equalization tank that will increase capacity that could accommodate most of these products,” Deese told the council.

If the county can stick to their predicted December 2021 time frame for the infrastructure improvement, there won’t even be a delay in the developer’s plans for Greenwich Downs.

“Union County Public Works ultimately holds the keys to that,” Deese said. “[Developers] have indicated that this is at their risk to move forward, so obtaining water and sewer from the county would be on them.”