THE DISPATCH
The Davidson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a rezoning request Tuesday that will allow the construction of new apartment buildings off of Hickory Tree Road near the N.C. Highway 150 intersection.
The 7.2 acre parcel of land, located behind the Sheetz and McDonald’s on Highway 150, was rezoned from a rural agricultural district to a high density residential district. The specific address is 3318 Hickory Tree Road.
The site plan, submitted by Gardner Capital Development, proposes five residential apartment buildings and one community building for amenities. The complex will have two driveway connections — one on the western side of the property leading to Highway 150 and on the south end of the property accessed by Hickory Tree Road.
Traci Dusenbury, who represented Gardner Capital Development at Tuesday’s meeting, said the complex would include no more than 72 units and will be a $12 million investment. Unlike the Villas at Hickory Tree, which is located across the street and houses seniors, Dusenbury said the apartment complex would be for working individuals and families.
Dusenbury said the target is a median income of $36,000, which is the moderate level for Davidson County. But she added that it could increase by the time the apartments have been completed. There will be no Section 8 housing or rental subsidies tied to the community. 
According to Dusenbury, there will be one, two and three bedroom apartments and the rent could be $630, $756 and $872 per month, but the cost could change in the future.
Dusenbury said an independent market study indicated strong demand for apartments in Davidson County. She also noted that several working class jobs are available in the county.
“From a planning standpoint, I feel like this is the absolute perfect location,” Dusenbury said. “You couldn’t find a better location. It’s situated between single family residential and commercial. There’s multifamily across the street and speaking of commercial, it’s on a main corridor, which is within less than a mile of shopping and services and very close to job opportunities.”
The site plan also states that driveway accesses will be subject to control by the North Carolina Department of Transportation after study as part of the driveway permit application. The developer may participate in necessary improvements such as turn lanes. Hickory Tree Road is currently being studied for widening as well as Highway 150.
Commissioner Zak Crotts, who lives close to the site of the future apartment complex, said the northwestern part of Davidson County is growing.
He said he had no problem with new apartments being built in the area.
“A lot of people who work in Forsyth County are able to live in Davidson County and pay our taxes and go to our schools,” Crotts said. “That’s also the new Oak Grove High School district. So it is going to be a very sought after area because you’re going to the newest high school in Davidson County.”
Other measures approved at the meeting include:
• Approved a request by Richard Canady II and Stefanie Canady to rezone 3.4 acres on the west side of North N.C. Highway 150 approximately 350 feet north of the Virgil Wyatt Road intersection from a rural agricultural district to a rural commercial district
• Approved a request by Stan Bingham to rezone 2.15 acres on the northwest side of N.C. Highway 49 approximately 0.8 mile northeast of the N.C. Highway 109 intersection from a rural agricultural district to a limited industrial district
• Approved a request by Tony and Mechelle Turner to rezone 10.95 acres on the south side of N.C. Highway 49 approximately 1.1 miles west of the N.C. Highway 8 intersection from a rural agricultural district to conditional use, rural commercial district
• Approved a request by KURZ Transfer Products to rezone 13.028 acres located on the west side of North N.C. Highway 150 approximately 0.4 mile north of the Friendship Church Road and Highway 150 intersection from a highway commercial and rural agricultural district to heavy industrial district
