4870 Robinhood TRTORV, LLC recently acquired the 44.3 acre property at 4870 Robinhood Road from Crescent Media Properties/Curtis Media Group (WSJS 600/Truth Broadcasting). On September 8, they are petitioning the Planning Board to rezone this 44.3 acre property from RS-9-Residential Single Family (up to 4 single family detached dwellings per acre) to RM-12-Residential Multifamily (up to 12 units per acre).

4870 Robinhood Road is bounded on the north by Brooks Landing (RS-9; average density of 5 units per acre) and on the south Ashton Place (RS-9; average density of 4 units per acre) and Century Oaks (RS-9; average density of 2 units per acre). Their project plan calls for 216 apartments spread across eleven 2- and 3-story buildings, ten 25' × 60' townhomes, and a 140 unit independent living facility, with 584 total parking spaces.

Approximately 29% of the property (~12.6 acres) will be paved or replaced by buildings. Because this property is steeply sloped, to accommodate the large footprints of the eleven 2- and 3-story apartment buildings and the independent living facility, Stimmel PA and 4870 Robinhood TRTORV have proposed massive terracing of the property, which will result in steep retaining walls from 18- to 36-feet tall.

While these retaining walls will raise these buildings at least 10-feet above the 100-year flood plan, adjoining developments (Century Oaks and Brooks Landing) are afforded no such protection. Further, proposed Building I (2-story apartment building with 16 2-bedroom units) is atop a 36-foot retaining wall only fifteen (15) feet behind a 2-story single family home in Century Oaks.

We are not opposed to develop the 4870 Robinhood Road. However, we strongly prefer this property be developed in a similar character to the surrounding neighborhoods (retaining the existing RS9 zoning designation) rather than shoehorning ~216 apartments, a nominal 10 garden homes, and a ~140 unit independent living facility into this acreage with only a single entrance/exit at Castle Drive. Not to mention concerns about how this affects either Jefferson or Meadowlark schools (it’s unclear whether this development will feed into WS/FCS Zone 5 or Zone 6),and the worsening traffic along Robinhood Road, and the increased potential for significant flooding along Muddy Creek due to increased runoff.

The developer is hosting a drop in meeting on Thursday, August 25 from 5:30–7:30 pm at the Robinhood Road Baptist Church (5422 Robinhood Rd, Winston Salem, NC 27106).