Garner council forwards Lawndale rezoning to planning commission after neighbor concerns

A developer told the Garner Town Council on Feb. 17 that he plans to divide three vacant Lawndale Street parcels into five single‑family lots and build homes of at least 2,000 square feet, after withdrawing plans for denser townhomes.

Town planner Jamaya Lyons presented KCZ25003, a tier‑1 conditional rezoning for approximately 2.4 acres, and staff said the proposal is generally consistent with the 2023 Garner comprehensive plan but lacks variety in housing scale. The applicant, Brett Mangum, said the homes will include fiber‑cement siding, two‑car garages and higher‑quality front facades.

At the public hearing Joanna Cox Lewis, speaking for neighbors, said residents were surprised by the proposal’s lot count and raised concerns about flooding, traffic and compatibility with older, single‑story homes nearby. “We just learned tonight it was going to be 6,” Lewis said; the applicant corrected the record, saying he proposed five lots, not six. Council members also asked about an artesian spring and a buried pipe that had previously caused water to flow toward a neighboring house; Mangum said his builder will repair any breached pipe encountered during construction.

Council members praised the applicant for working with neighbors and staff but emphasized that the hearing was informational. Mayor Buddy Gupton said the council’s role was to gather testimony and forward the case to the planning commission for plan‑consistency review. Mr. Vance moved, and Mr. Stallings seconded, to refer KCZ25003 to the planning commission; the council voted unanimously to do so.

The planning commission will review the case and make a recommendation back to council; any future vote on rezoning or site plans will follow that commission recommendation and additional public notice.