TO: Zoning Commission
THRU: Jennifer C Baptiste, CZO - Planning & Zoning Division Manager
FROM: Thomas Cohen - Planner I
DATE: October 13, 2026
RE:Title
P26-49: A request to rezone 127 Dunn Rd (0447321695000) consisting of ±0.13 acres, owned by Homes R Us NC LLC from Heavy Industrial (HI) to Community Commercial (CC).
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COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
2 - Council Member Malik Davis
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal 2: Economic & Strategic Growth
• Objective 2.1: To ensure a diverse City tax base
• Objective 2.3: To leverage partnerships for job creation and retention, with a focus on the local and regional workforce to increase per capita income
• Objective 2.6: To manage the City’s future growth and strategic land use
Executive Summary:
Request by the applicant to rezone approximately ± 0.13 acres at 127 Dunn Rd from Heavy Industrial (HI) to Community Commercial (CC). The request is without conditions. While it does not directly align with the character area designation from the Future Land Use Map, the request of CC aligns more with this designation and lowers intensity than retaining the subject property as HI. Additionally, the request is aligned with existing development and the associated overlay district. It also fulfills key economic goals found within the FY2027 Strategic Plan and the Future Land Use Plan.
Background:
Owner: Homes R Us NC LLC
Request: HI to CC
REID or PIN: 0447321695000
Parcel Size: ± 0.13
Existing Site Conditions: Tire shop
Adjacent Zoning:
• North: HI - Autoshop
• South: HI - Empty lot
• East: CC - Autosales
• West: HI - Undeveloped
Future Land Use Designation: PARKOS
Public Notice: Notification letters were sent to property owners within 1,000 feet of the subject site equating to 38 notices sent.
Issues/Analysis:
The applicant requests to rezone 0.13 acres ± located at 127 Dunn Road (0447321695000) from Heavy Industrial (HI) to Community Commercial (CC) to enable the Use Type of Auto Motive Sales or Rentals.
Land Use Analysis
The 2040 Future Land Use Plan (FLUP) is a part of the analysis of requests and is affixed by reasonableness to the local contexts and service to the public good. According to the FLUP, the subject property is designated for Parks and Open Space (PARKOS) which is area that is unsuited for development due to site constraints or environmental/cultural importance.
This designation does not align with the requested district. However, the requested zoning district aligns to the designation more than the existing one. The subject property and the surrounding area that is designated as PARKOS are not untouched land, outdoor recreative, environmental, or cultural areas but commercial and industrial properties that are still in operation or only recently ceased operation. What must be considered as well is that the array of permitted uses and potential land intensity within CC are overall less intensive and less offensive to the PARKOS designation than retaining HI as the latter is the most intense district available within the UDO.
The site is also within the Cape Fear River Overlay (CFRO) district which has limitations on permissible activities and operations for the purpose of protecting the Cape Fear River and surrounding areas. The intended Use Type of Automotive Sales or Rentals is not one of the prohibited Use Types. While outdoor vehicle storage may be required as part of the sales or rental operation, it would be an ancillary use.
Local Context
The area is located just east of the Cape Fear River, just within the municipal boundary of Fayetteville. It is a mixture of empty lots and businesses with the western side of Dunn Rd being zoned for Heavy Industrial while the eastern side is Community Commercial. CC is the requested zoning district because it enables the intended Use Type without negatively impacting the existing Use Type or creating an island. While Community Commercial would be jumping the road this would have minimal impact on the surrounding area.
Regarding the storage of potential rental/sale vehicles there are several viable options such as the southern side of the property or to the rear on the west. As storage of these vehicles is secondary to the sales or rental purpose, screening of the storage is not required. This is not a foreign situation to the area as on the corner of Dunn Rd and Grove St just up the road is Forsyth Auto Sales. While it is currently closed, the storage was once front and center of the property.
Conclusion
While the request is at odds with the FLUM Character Area Designation, it’s not at odds with the CFRO nor the surrounding area. Overall, little would change physically other than potentially the addition of parked cars to be sold or rented. The requested district permits less intense uses than the existing district while enabling the expansion or conversion of a business which aligns to the FY2027 Strategic Goals and the general principles of the FLUP.
Budget Impact:
Approval or denial of the requested map amendment does not create immediate and direct impacts on the budget other than the collection of the application fee and cost for relevant staff. Automotive sales and rental presents opportunity for positive budgetary impacts due to the taxes on those sales and rental. However, the downshift of the property away from an industrial designation may affect that impact.
Options:
• Approval (Recommended Action):
Recommend approval of the zoning map amendment as requested - finding that the request is consistent with the Future Land Use Plan and reasonable to local context as outlined by the Consistency and Reasonableness Statement.
• Approval, but to a more restrictive district:
Recommend approval of the zoning map amendment from MR-5 to one that is more restrictive, but consistent with the Future Land Use Plan and Reasonable to the local contexts with an amended Consistency and Reasonableness Statement.
• Denial:
Deny the proposed map amendment - find that the request is inconsistent with the Future Land Use Plan and unreasonable to the local context.
Recommended Action::Recommended Action
The Professional Planning Staff recommends that the Zoning Commission recommends to City Council a motion to APPROVE the request as presented - to rezone the approximately ± 0.13 at 127 Dunn Rd from Heavy Industrial (HI) to Community Commercial (CC).
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Attachments:
1. Application
2. Aerial Notification Map
3. Current Zoning Map
4. Future Land Use Map
5. Site Pictures (Subject Site)
6. Site Pictures (Surrounding Properties)
7. Consistency and Reasonableness Statement