Bonnie D. Bryant

The agenda for this City Council meeting included several key items. The Consent Agenda involved the release of minutes from various past Closed Session and Work Session meetings, as well as ordinances amending the Annual Operating Budget for FY 2025-2026 across several departments (Distribution and Collection, Police, Utility Business, Public Building). The Special Agenda included presentations of proclamations for Black History Month and honoring Dr. Alice Faye Hooker. The Regular Agenda covered new business, specifically considering an ordinance amendment for Utility Business and a resolution concerning the potential closing of portions of Oakdale Street and Hudson Avenue. The Decisions on Public Hearings section detailed staff-initiated text amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) concerning zoning map amendments (Case 2026-0101 for Ashby Village) and text revisions (Cases 2026-0102 through 2026-0106) related to definitions, permitted uses, development standards, and fire code alignment. The document also contains extensive excerpts from prior Closed Session minutes dated June 16, 2020, December 8, 2020, and June 29, 2021, which discussed economic development projects, utility infrastructure expansion planning, and shared revenue agreements. Furthermore, minutes from the January 13, 2026, Work Session detailed discussions on a development agreement for Mattamy Homes, the Lead Service Line Project results, joining NC WaterWARN, the Depot Building renovation use by the Tourism Development Authority, and community garden property arrangements. Finally, minutes from the January 20, 2026, meeting covered the 2025 Audited Financial Statements, resolutions supporting temporary street closures for community events, budget ordinance appropriations for watermain projects, authorization for an electronic auction of surplus property, and acceptance of a grant from Firehouse Subs for AEDs.

The meeting, which included a joint public hearing with the City Council, focused primarily on considering a request by Atwell, LLC (d/b/a Atwell, PLLC) to amend the existing Ashby Village Conditional Zoning District. The amendment seeks to provide greater detail for the Office & Institutional (O&I) and General Commercial (C-2) portions of the project originally approved in 2021. The Planning Board discussed six agenda items, all related to zoning text or map amendments impacting the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), such as revising definitions, modifying permitted uses in the MF-12 district, adjusting thresholds for access points in subdivisions, and clarifying landscape screening requirements. The Board recommended approval of the zoning map amendment, finding it consistent with the Mixed Use Activity Center designation in the Plan SanLee. Additionally, the Board adopted a resolution regarding the Lee County Schools' School Expansion Feasibility Update, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive planning for community health and economic development.

The meeting involved a joint public hearing with the City Council concerning two zoning map amendment applications. The first application (Case 2025-1101) sought to rezone 22.86 acres from Residential Agricultural (RA) to Light Industrial (LI) to allow for techflex and non-residential uses, pending annexation. The second application (Case 2025-1103) aimed to rezone 32.6 acres to General Commercial Conditional Zoning District (C-2-C) for a commercial center. The Planning Board held subsequent discussions regarding these cases and Case 2025-0901 and Case 2025-0902 from the September 16, 2025 meeting, particularly focusing on the presence of a cemetery and potential landfill issues related to the Kelly Drive rezoning. A third item (Case 2025-0903) involved rezoning property on Woodland Avenue from mixed zones to Light Commercial & Office (C-1) to streamline existing development plans. The Board provided consistency findings and recommendations to the City Council for all three current agenda items.

This strategic framework serves as a guiding tool reflecting the Sanford City Council's vision and priorities for the city. It provides direction for decision-making aligned with the City's mission and values. Key goals include fostering economic prosperity for all, preserving and creating affordable housing, developing a vibrant downtown Sanford and Historic Jonesboro, planning and investing in infrastructure for managed growth, and building community. The framework aims to deliver high-quality services, promote transparency, and build a stronger, more resilient Sanford.

This strategic framework outlines the organization's long-term direction through five key goals: achieving economic prosperity for all, preserving and creating affordable housing, developing vibrant downtowns in Sanford and Jonesboro, ensuring planning and infrastructure for managed growth, and enhancing community engagement. The plan details initiatives and progress in areas such as workforce development, public transportation, housing programs, downtown revitalization, utility management, public safety infrastructure, and community leadership and communication strategies, all working towards a vision culminating in 2025.