Action Alert - August 23, 2022
Ask the Forsyth County Commissioners to Vote NO on Proposed Idols Road Rezoning for Riverwalk Development
Background The Forsyth County Commissioners will be considering a proposed rezoning request (Zoning Petition F-1617) for the "Riverwalk" development off Idols Road at their meeting on August 25. The proposal would rezone approximately 318 acres currently in the Yadkin River (YR), Agriculture (Ag) and RS-30 districts to zoning (YR-S, RS15-S, RM5-S) suitable for higher density development. This would allow more than 500 housing units to be built on the rezoned parcel.
One of Yadkin Riverkeeper’s top priorities is to protect the River’s floodplains and buffers to reduce sediments and nutrients going into the River. Increased sediment and nutrient pollution in the River threaten Davidson County’s drinking water supply and are causing an increase in Harmful Algal Blooms or HABs in the River and Yadkin Pee Dee Lakes, threatening recreational use of the lakes. YRK also is concerned about the loss of productive farmland and undeveloped land to absorb ever increasing rainfall and runoff from urban areas and new developments. The US Forest Service projects the amount of developed land in the Yadkin River watershed will double between now and 2060 leading to more runoff carrying sediments, nutrients and bacterial into the River and its tributaries.
YRK is opposed to this rezoning request for the following reasons:
1. The new development will destroy an intact river buffer zone by allowing twice the number of housing units in the 171 acres currently zone for Yadkin River (YR) Conservation District.
2. While no homes will be built in the 100-year floodplain, projected increases in precipitation and storm intensity due to climate change will likely result in flooding outside of the designated floodplain. According to historical records, Forsyth County has had three of its wettest 12-month periods in the last four years.
3. Increased runoff from the site due to an increase in impervious surfaces (homes, roofs, pavement, sidewalks) will exacerbate localized flooding in the area.
4. The proposed rezoning is inconsistent with the YR Conservation District zoning, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Uniform Development Code, the Legacy 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Growth Management Area #5 designed to protect rural areas and land uses.
5. The petition would rezone almost 150 acres of prime farmland for higher density development. Forsyth County has lost 14 percent of its working farmland between 2012-17 according to USDA statistics and North Carolina ranks second nationally in the loss of farmland according to the American Farmland Trust.
6. In addition to protecting water quality and reducing sedimentation, preserving the rural character and promoting agriculture, particularly local food production, are major objectives of the YR zoning district, all of which would be impacted negatively by this rezoning request.
7. This land should be protected as part of Tanglewood Park or the state’s Farmland Preservation Program. The US Forest Service projects the amount of developed land in the Yadkin River watershed will double between know and 2060 leading to more runoff carrying sediments, nutrients and bacterial into our waterways.
8. Increase sediments and nutrients entering the River will cause an increase in HABs in High Rock Lake and other Yadkin Pee Dee Lakes, threating drinking water supplies, recreational use and property values. In the near future, local governments will be required to reduce nonpoint source pollution (agricultural and urban runoff) to achieve new nutrient management requirements to protect water quality in High Rock Lake.
Action Requested
Please email the Forsyth County Commissioners and request they oppose Zoning Petition F-1617 to protect water quality in the Yadkin River and preserve prime farmland. Doing so will not only preserve the rural character of the area, but also protect surface water quality and groundwater.
For more information contact: Edgar Miller, Yadkin Riverkeeper at edgar@yadkinriverkeeper.org, 336-688-2651.
