Council approves Mallard Crossing preliminary plat with 9 conditions amid neighbor concerns

The Town of Smithfield council approved the Mallard Crossing preliminary plat (S‑26‑01) for roughly 469.99 acres in the town’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, allowing a conditioned master-plan subdivision of up to 1,326 residential units and associated infrastructure.

Planning staff described the project as a conditional, master-plan-based development that was rezoned previously and now seeks preliminary-plat approval for phased construction. The plan calls for 872 single-family detached homes and 454 townhomes, five product types, two clubhouses with pools, multiuse trails (including a route in the Duke Power line easement), roughly 25 acres of managed open space and 231 acres of passive open space. Staff noted utilities will be extended and the developer will construct required off-site traffic improvements identified in a traffic‑impact analysis.

Developer representatives and consultants told the council the project’s traffic-impact analysis followed town and NCDOT standards and recommended signalization and turn-lane improvements at key accesses. "Following construction of recommended off‑site improvements and future NCDOT projects, adequate capacity will exist to handle projected traffic volumes," Timmons Group traffic lead Jeff Hockenholt said.

Nearby property owners raised concerns about a proposed stub street, buffering and notice. Joseph Pierce, whose farm adjoins the project, asked for a permanent visual buffer between his property and the development; the developer agreed to add a berm and six‑foot vinyl fence, carried 100 feet beyond the last townhouse, and recommended the homeowner association maintain it. Council codified that buffer as a condition and added language about phasing and sewer‑capacity commitments.

Council approval: After amending the staff motion to include the berm/fence buffer (condition 9) and confirming five other recommended conditions — including POA/HOA declarations, stormwater O&M agreements, sidewalk installation and protection of a 100‑foot north buffer — the council voted to approve the preliminary plat.

What happens next: The developer will proceed to design and permitting, extend water and sewer as required (at developer expense), and submit final plats and HOA declarations for town attorney review prior to final plat approval.