BOONE, N.C. — The Boone Town Council approved conditional rezoning for two affordable housing developments and a new Public Works facility after weeks of public hearings, including a split vote on a senior housing project that drew strong neighborhood opposition.
The most debated project, The Villas at South Fork, is a proposed 48‑unit affordable senior housing development on Chestnut Drive.
Nearby residents argued the four‑story building would harm property values and increase privacy and light‑pollution concerns, according to the Watauga Democrat.
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Councilmember Virginia Roseman sided with residents, saying the town had a responsibility to protect the expectations of homeowners in the R1 neighborhood.
Councilmember Anne Pruitt countered that rejecting the project could allow a previously approved 60‑unit development to move forward instead.
The council ultimately approved the rezoning, with Roseman casting the lone dissenting vote.
A second project, Hemlock Ridge Trace, also received approval. The Taft‑Mills Group plans to build a 93‑unit affordable housing community at US 421 and Yosef Drive, offering 1‑ to 3‑bedroom units for households earning at or below 60% of Watauga County’s median income—about $31,000 annually.
The development will include 152 parking spaces, an AppalCART stop, and a playground. The council granted a four‑year vesting period to allow time for funding.
The council also approved rezoning for a new Town of Boone Public Works facility on US 421 across from Food Lion.
Additionally, several updates to the Unified Development Ordinance were adopted, including new construction‑phasing rules, an exemption for single‑family nonconformities, and the removal of master sign plan requirements.