Woodin planning board approves future land‑use change for former Craggy Correctional Facility site

The Town of Woodin Planning Board of Adjustment voted June 2 to amend the town’s comprehensive plan to recommend converting three state‑owned parcels near Riverside Drive from an institutional designation to cluster residential and to add the site to the comp plan’s small‑area planning appendix, subject to a condition requiring a historic/archaeological review.

Planning staff described the three parcels—identified in meeting materials at addresses including 2988, 2990 and 2992 Riverside Drive—as totaling about 286 acres and formerly used by the Craggy Correctional Facility. Staff emphasized that the board was updating the future land use map (FLUM) only; the parcels’ current zoning remains heavy industrial, and any change in zoning or major redevelopment would trigger separate conditional‑zoning or rezoning reviews.

The plan amendment was proposed after the state announced the prison’s closure. Staff told the board the FLUM change would guide future decisions and make clear the town’s preference for redevelopment that better fits the surrounding neighborhood—examples discussed included cluster housing, open space and river access, or repurposing existing buildings for mixed uses. Staff also noted legal limits: state law and actions by the North Carolina General Assembly can alter which state properties are subject to local zoning, and the board does not control decisions the state might make about its property.

A member of the public, Lynn Deal, who said she lives near the site, urged the board to research the property’s history before redevelopment, citing concerns about asbestos and lead paint in older buildings and raising a local report of a possible Cherokee burial ground. The board agreed to add recommended language to Appendix A12 that would call for attention to historic and archaeological resources as part of any small‑area planning process.

A motion to adopt ordinance No. 202609—amending the Future Land Use Map as shown in Exhibit B, adding the correctional facility to Appendix A12 for small‑area planning, and including the archaeological review condition—carried on a recorded vote. Board members recorded in favor were Mr. Valentine, Mr. Deron, Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Behorn, Mr. Young and Mr. Hayes.

Staff and board members said the appendix and a future small‑area plan would allow targeted public outreach and a focused planning process to evaluate access, open space, traffic impacts and infrastructure needs if the property is marketed or redeveloped. The board also noted that any large‑scale private redevelopment or expansions would require additional review under town rules. The board closed the public hearing, approved the ordinance, and ended its meeting after announcing application instructions for volunteers to join the Planning and Zoning Board.

What happens next: the FLUM amendment and Appendix A12 designation are guidance in the comp plan; any developer proposal, sale by the state, or request for rezoning would trigger later review and public hearings. The board added an archaeological/historic review requirement as part of the small‑area planning recommendation.