Mayor’s Vote Clears Major Hurdle For Smithfield Baseball Stadium
Mayor Andy Moore Breaks Tie Vote To Approve Rezoning For Future Smithfield Baseball Stadium
SMITHFIELD, N.C. — After months of public debate over the future home of the Smithfield Tobs baseball stadium, the project cleared another significant hurdle July 21 when Mayor Andy Moore cast the deciding vote to approve rezoning more than 90 acres of town-owned property south of Community Park.
The Smithfield Town Council split 3-3 on the request to rezone two adjacent tracts totaling 90.39 acres from R-10 and R-20A residential zoning to Office and Institutional (O&I), a designation that allows public recreational facilities, including the proposed baseball stadium. Mayor Moore broke the tie in favor of the rezoning.
The close vote was unexpected by many in attendance, as the council has spent months discussing the stadium’s location and cost and the rezoning had been recommended for approval by both the Planning Board and town planning staff. The Planning Board endorsed the request in a 4-1 vote in June.
The rezoning request was submitted by the Town of Smithfield, which owns the property immediately south of Community Park between Buffalo Road and the Eden Woods and Fairfield subdivisions. Town officials said the rezoning is intended to bring the property into the same zoning classification as Community Park and other municipal recreation facilities while allowing future park expansion.
The property is heavily wooded and marshy, with Buffalo Creek running through the site. A substantial portion of the land lies within the floodplain or protected riparian buffer, limiting where development can occur.
Town officials stressed during the meeting that the rezoning does not mean all 90 acres will be developed.
Instead, they said only a relatively small portion of the property outside the floodplain is expected to be used for the proposed baseball stadium, while much of the remaining acreage will remain undisturbed because of environmental regulations and natural constraints.
Residents Voice Environmental Concerns
Four residents spoke against the rezoning during the public hearing, urging council members to consider the long-term environmental consequences of clearing part of the forest.
Resident Rick Bruckner questioned whether the proposal truly met the legal standard of serving the public interest.
“How does this serve the public interest?” Bruckner asked, urging council members to weigh the ecological value of the property before approving the request.
Another speaker warned that once mature trees are removed, the environmental loss cannot be replaced.
“The mature forest cannot be brought back in our lifetime,” the resident told the council.
Opponents also cited concerns about the loss of wildlife habitat, the removal of a natural wooded buffer separating Community Park from nearby neighborhoods, and the cumulative environmental impact of future development.
Council Splits Again
Mayor Pro Tem Sloan Stevens made the motion to approve the rezoning, seconded by Councilman John Dunn.
Voting in favor were Sloan Stevens, John Dunn and Dr. Gettys Cohen.
Voting against were Travis Scott, Doris Wallace and Steve Rabil.
Mayor Andy Moore then cast the tie-breaking vote to approve the rezoning.
The divided vote continues a pattern that has emerged during the baseball stadium debate. While the council unanimously voted in April 2026 to return the project to Community Park after a new 58-acre land donation became available, members have remained divided over issues involving cost, transparency and the project’s long-term impact.
The newly rezoned property includes the 58-acre tract donated earlier this year by the Lampe family, which prompted the town to abandon plans for an 81-year lease at the American Legion ballfield and instead return the baseball stadium to Community Park. Town officials have said the additional acreage provides enough room for the stadium, parking and future recreational amenities while minimizing impacts on existing park facilities.
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Traffic will be a MESS! Why couldn’t they utilize some other area of land that would provide easier in and out access… Like directly across from Booker Dairy Rd and M. Durwood…. I swear planning and zoning have no concept of impact on the people who live near there. And when you have a team that will charge for parking, and you have the community park next door, people will take the free parking meant for the community park.
So it’ll be even more crowded.
You are assuming people will actually show up to watch.
Exactly, people will go there’s nothing else to do here unfortunately it’s going to be a disaster and a waste of good land and for what? Baseball the most boring game ever
😲 Where were you brought up? How can you say that baseball is a boring sport? Have you ever played? If you haven’t, you were deprived of a fun childhood. I’ll admit that the location for the stadium is a cluster f***; I can foresee major traffic problems, especially on the weekends. I imagine that the baseball games will take place on Friday nights, resulting in traffic problems along Durwood Stephenson Road, Buffalo Road, and Booker Dairy Road; especially during school hours. Can you imagine the traffic issues when both the stadium and the high school are hosting baseball games on the same night?
Another horses**t decision by the rich and famous- why don’t you egomaniacs do something helpful to all, like PAVE SECOND STREET IN SMITHFIELD????!!!
I’m at a loss to understand the reasoning behind this. They already destroyed the most beautiful portion of the Buffalo Creek Geenway, home to rare and threatened plant and animal wildlife. I don’t see the Smithfield Tobs/ JoCo Tater Hogs ever generating the revenue to warrant this decision, & suspect that this decision will bite the town in the butt.
Y’all need to start listening to Travis Scott. It’s going to come back to haunt you.
I was hoping we had already decided that this debacle was finally over. The majority of Smithfield citizens, as well as Johnston County as a whole, do not want this. If the powers-that-be are so sure this is a good idea, put it on the ballot in November. You will find out quickly that this is an EXTREMELY bad idea. There are plenty of things our “fearless leaders” could do with our taxpayer money that does not include this monstrosity.
Why are leaders of towns so stupid? I can no there are certain powerful people , donors, putting pressure on them. Smithfield needs a college summer league team like it needs a snowplow. What a bunch of idiots
Simple……. Pockets are lined! The public has no say regardless! We know it, they know that we know it.
Travis Scott should be the mayor of this town and show the council what they really need to know. The ones on the council who are in favor of this ballpark shouldn’t be in office and don’t really look into the long term of things here in Smithfield. This council is all hurried up into spend millions of dollars for a baseball field and within 10 to 15 years it’ll be a wasted space. Have they thought about what would or how it will impact the neighborhood across Smithfield Middle. I can say that I wouldn’t have a crowd of people in my, back yard. Having strangers walking around on my property, leaving trash, beer cans/bottles, property damage or being near to kids if any of the people in the crowd have some sort of arrest record, *hint-hint*. I think that it’s past time to vote some of the council members out and vote the mayor out and vote people in who really listen to the residents. There are 2 people I know that I will keep on the council, that’s Travis Scott and Steve Rabil, I’ve known these guys for years and they are really for the voice of the residents, and the others, unvote them in the next election.
No one wants this stadium! We want to keep the natural area and wildlife habitat. How can we stop this!!
Sign me up
I, for the life of me can’t see this happening as a successful venture.
If you build it in swamp the grass want need as much water
With all this fast-paced growth many people like to go to quiet places in nature to unwind, relax, enjoy nature for their mental health. A walk,run or bike ride away from buildings,noise etc.does wonders after a stressful day. People like baseball too,but why ruin what people go to the Greenway for? It was so unnecessary. Mental Health is important.
A lot of folks don’t like this project…I don’t like it…who has time to go watch a silly baseball game
When a project of this magnitude cannot get a majority vote and requires a “tiebreaker” it is probably time to send it back to the drawing board. There will be plenty of opportunities for “I told you so’s” if this is not a major success.
Thanks “mayor” for totally NOT listening to the people who live & work in this community!!! Why do we vote again…??
Another BAD idea and a waste of land and tax payer money make this disaster go away we do t want this garbage
This is a complete and utter waste of taxpayer money.
Whatever it is that is motivating this, it’s not being published. These summer league games draw less than 100 people, and the proposed stadium is ridiculous.
People don’t want it but the officials aren’t listening. There must be a rea$on.
Why don’t they just use the Smithfield Selma high school field? The Clayton Clover is play on a Parks and Recreation field on Glen Laurel Road and have been for several years. These college summer teams only play about 23 home games a year so I doubt that enough revenue will be made to have any lasting financial benefit to the town of Smithfield. Let the Tobs sell tickets and take the gate receipts, and then let Smithfield Selma high school run the concessions and take 50% of the concession receipt and the other 50 to the Tobs. the tops will be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the field or perhaps parks and rec could do that. Building a stadium for such a small team is just poor management. I have to question the people that are voting for the stadium as to their motives. I can’t imagine anyone thinking this Will be a financial success for the town of Smithfield……… Unless they are somehow going to be compensated for their approval vote. Just saying.
Agree entirely.
These games draw a small number of people, MUCH fewer than would actually sustain a permanent field, and while it’s a pleasant diversion for some people (probably family of the players) it’s not self sustaining.
People don’t want to pay for this, but the “leaders” in town are determined to cram it down our throats anyway.
Remember this at election time.
Oh, put me in Coach, I’m ready to play today. Put me in Coach, I’m ready to play today. Look at me, I can be Centerfield!
(John Fogerty- “Centerfield”)
Maybe after this project is completed, and failed, the homeless people that wander our streets will have a nice place to go for shelter along with basic facilities.
I don’t see any elected politicians out here trying to help with that situation.
In light of recent financial questions rising in nearby towns and counties ( Rocky Mount, Cary) I would think the city of Smithfield would be very careful about how they spend their money. Something as frivolous as a baseball field for college kids would seem like it might raise some eyebrows at the state level. in fact, maybe the citizens of this town at the next city Council meeting need to request an audit of their expenditures.
You get what you vote for.