HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — Homeowners on Skeet Club Road in High Point say they don’t want a new commercial development built in their backyard.
While traffic concerns are steering neighbors away from the idea, people also have a problem building it next to a historical home.
“Find somewhere else. Find a commercial area for your commercial development,” said homeowner Rick Moore.
Neighbors on Skeet Club Road are trying to stop a Florida-based developer, Halverson Holdings, from bringing in a commercial building to their backyards.
“We’re just the people who are willing to stand up and fight for it,” Moore explained.
It’s a fight to preserve history.
If approved, the commercial property will be wedged onto a corner lot of Johnson street, forcing the Mendenhall-Blair house to be moved.
That historic home was once a safe haven for slaves in the South, seeking freedom in the North. For Marjorie Blair, who also lives on Skeet Club Road, the matter is personal.
“It’s history. It’s 200 years old. If we lose that, we’re losing part of our history,” she said.
Marjorie Blair married into the Blair family who once lived in this home.
“There were seven boys in the family. My husband’s cousins, aunts and uncles who lived there,” she said.
Like Blair, Moore understands the significance a home registered on the state historical registry means to the area.
“Once you move a historical property, if the least little thing happens, it could be a disaster,” Moore said.
While no official statement on what exactly will be built on the strip of land has been released, neighbors fear it will also add more traffic to an area that is already overwhelmed.
Some are saying it’s making them reconsider wanting to live here.
“When you buy a house, who says, ‘what’s going to happen here in 20 years,’ and where do you go to find out that information?” Moore said.
Blair and Moore hope city council leaders will vote against the developer once it comes to their table.
“When people vote, they need to think about other people, the constituents-the people they represent. If they’re going to represent us, then they need to represent us and get our feelings and see for themselves,” Blair said.
The planning and zoning meeting is scheduled for next month.
This is where community members can voice their concerns. Based on the recommendation from that meeting, the city council will hold a final vote.
FOX8 made multiple attempts to reach representatives of the potential developer, Halverson Holdings, but did not hear backon Monday.