GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Residents along West Friendly Avenue took to the streets Thursday morning, continuing their nearly year-and-a-half-long fight against a controversial development proposed by local developer Glen Drew.
The march follows Drew’s submission of a revised plan for the Hutchinson Court development, which now includes ten single-family homes and a bioretention cell along Friendly Avenue. The protest comes after residents successfully blocked a rezoning request last year for Drew’s initial plan to build 22 townhomes on the same plot. Although the revised project no longer requires a zoning change, many residents remain frustrated with the development.
“We have over 1,500 signatures and people protesting. If need be, we’ll do it again. To have willy-nilly development in the heart of the neighborhood is crazy.” said Andrew Aronson, a resident of West Friendly Avenue.
Residents marched along the busy avenue, holding signs and voicing their concerns about the new plan. Aronson, one of the leaders of the protest, says the community’s opposition comes from Drew’s unwillingness to engage with the community.