Sanford’s push for light industry has reached a quiet stretch of Colon Road, where the City Council voted to rezone nearly 23 acres of “Countryside” land for future industrial-style development. The property, made up of two vacant tracts next to existing heavy industry, was found inconsistent with the PlanSanLee “Countryside” goals by the Planning Board, but ultimately declared “reasonable” and in the public interest by council members. The site has access to public water, will be placed in Electoral Ward 2, and has now been annexed into the city limits.
Residents living beside the project raised concerns about traffic, lighting, and the loss of rural character, pointing to nearby industrial growth they say has already changed their neighborhood. Economic development leaders argued the rezoning follows a statewide trend of driving light industry into rural areas, promising supply-chain support and higher-paying jobs even as the exact businesses have not been announced. The council approved annexation and rezoning on a 5–1 vote, with Council Member Charles Taylor casting the lone “no,” and the next council work session is set for December 9.
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Full story at Sandhills.News: “Sanford approves rezoning approximately 23 acres of Countryside off Colon Road.”