GREENSBORO, N.C. -
Greensboro residents are upset that a developer who originally planned to build luxury townhouses off Michaux Road will instead build an assisted living facility.
Granite Development had their plans for a shopping center approved by Greensboro City Council in 2005, but local residents are upset that the developer has changed their plans and have failed to keep up the facilities.
"I think this is really kind of a really bad example of development in our city." said Greensboro City Councilwoman Nancy Vaughn.
Many of the stores are vacant, and the shopping center it littered with construction debris and broken fencing.
"And if you look around, it looks like a wasteland." Councilwoman Vaughn said.
Developer Rick Vaughn of Granite Development had high hopes for the shopping center.
"We want to make sure the apartments, retail and townhouses are all developed as one." Vaughn said in 2005.
Yet more than four years later, the apartments have not been built and plans for townhouses have been scrapped in favor of an assisted-living facility.
Vaughn said the poor economy has forced them to make some changes, but residents in the nearby Highland Meadows neighborhood say they were never informed about the developers change in plans until after the zoning commission approved them.
"We've been expecting that, we were even shown renderings of what they'd look like, that's what we were expecting. We were not expecting an assisted living facility." said Frances Dieffenbacher, President of the Highland Meadows Homeowners Association.
Councilwoman Vaughn said the zoning commission did not need to inform residents because it considered the change in plans a minor modification, but she is asking her council to reconsider this development.
"I think they have fallen far short of what they promised, and I think we need to hold developers responsible for what they promised in a city council zoning meeting." Councilwoman Vaughn said.
The developer of the assisted living community, HHHunt, say they followed all required policies and procedures, and that they will try to work with the neighborhood before breaking ground on the assisted living community.
Granite Development had their plans for a shopping center approved by Greensboro City Council in 2005, but local residents are upset that the developer has changed their plans and have failed to keep up the facilities.
"I think this is really kind of a really bad example of development in our city." said Greensboro City Councilwoman Nancy Vaughn.
Many of the stores are vacant, and the shopping center it littered with construction debris and broken fencing.
"And if you look around, it looks like a wasteland." Councilwoman Vaughn said.
Developer Rick Vaughn of Granite Development had high hopes for the shopping center.
"We want to make sure the apartments, retail and townhouses are all developed as one." Vaughn said in 2005.
Yet more than four years later, the apartments have not been built and plans for townhouses have been scrapped in favor of an assisted-living facility.
Vaughn said the poor economy has forced them to make some changes, but residents in the nearby Highland Meadows neighborhood say they were never informed about the developers change in plans until after the zoning commission approved them.
"We've been expecting that, we were even shown renderings of what they'd look like, that's what we were expecting. We were not expecting an assisted living facility." said Frances Dieffenbacher, President of the Highland Meadows Homeowners Association.
Councilwoman Vaughn said the zoning commission did not need to inform residents because it considered the change in plans a minor modification, but she is asking her council to reconsider this development.
"I think they have fallen far short of what they promised, and I think we need to hold developers responsible for what they promised in a city council zoning meeting." Councilwoman Vaughn said.
The developer of the assisted living community, HHHunt, say they followed all required policies and procedures, and that they will try to work with the neighborhood before breaking ground on the assisted living community.
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