By Emily Weaver
Dunn Daily Record
BENSON – A proposed housing development is slated to bring 79 new homes to Benson in the state’s fastest-growing county.
The Benson Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a request to rezone 26 acres of land on North Honeycutt Street for the new development at its latest meeting.
Shandy Hill of 550-Cash LLC, owner and developer of the property, proposes to construct 36 townhouses on approximately 1.87 acres of land and 41 single family homes on 15.88 acres, according to the project’s description submitted to commissioners. The Weston Hills Planned Development also incorporates 4.3 acres of open space with amenities, including mulched walking trails and a picnic shelter. Gray Wolf Homes will design the residential units.
The townhomes will front North Honeycutt Street and be within walking distance to Benson Middle School about 500 yards away from the property line. Hill told Benson Planning Board members that there is a need for townhomes with affordable housing in the area.
Hill also owns a 5.4-acre parcel of land across from the planned development on North Honeycutt Street that he hopes to develop for a commercial business in the future.
A master plan for Weston Hills contains two stormwater retention ponds on the site.
nothing we can do as all this is rubber stamped
Ms. Jeanne, I do so agree with your sentiments and struggle with the reality of this being a double edge sword that cuts in two different directions. One direction is losing the countryside of Johnston County to congestion with overcrowding to the point of not wanting to fight traffic at five o’clock to shop downtown for groceries. The other side is when Johnston County only had a two lane 301 road between Smithfield and Selma. The onlything located in the area in which Wal-Mart is now was lazy cows in a pasture and a mobile home under two towering hundred year old oaks and a home built garage that was used as a liquor and poker house. As a young preteen boy this was where I took my frist drink of a very clear and harsh adult beverage from people that were not relatives but we loved just as well. Jobs were not plentiful at all and you valued your minimum wage job should you had one. Getting back to the point, I remember a county too that I loved and still love. Ms. Jeanne you have a board of commissioners unlike the school board that will listen to you and others around you should you feel strong enough and willing to fight this development that you have expressed such a hatred for. If it is not worth showing up on the first Monday night of the month for a commissioners meeting to fight for then all you have brought to the table is just empty sentiments.
How could I forget the Drive-in Theater where the Smithfield Wal-Mart foot print is now. If it was still there do you think they still be playing all those adult films that us kids use to set in the woods edge and watch? Johnston County may just be a better place?
Careful planning is needed or the future will be filled with congested roads and run down high density areas near our greatest joys attending school.
Some feel a major economic downturn is coming. Plan responsibly.