Sanford Planning Board recommends 271-home subdivision on Wicker Street, replacing the Reeves Ridge Farm

During the April 21 public hearing, the Sanford Planning Board recommended a concept plan and rezoning for a 271-home subdivision on the historic Reeves Ridge Farm.

On May 5, the city will vote on rezoning three parcels totaling 60 acres on Wicker Street across from Kiwanis Family Park from urban neighborhood and general commercial to Parkside Village conditional zoning.

The historic Reeves Ridge Farm owned by Charles and Sarah Reeves will be converted into 127 single-family homes and 144 multi-family units within six apartment buildings.

If possible, the application reads, “the existing historic house will be restored for a central amenity and clubhouse.”

The applicants are developer Mark Lyczkowski with ML Consulting of Sanford, LLC and Parkside Partners, LLC, which is owned by Roy E. Mashburn Jr.

The proposal wants 4.49 dwellings per acre.

Neighboring long-time property owners said at the public hearing that they’d imagined senior-living homes on an acre each.

Reeves Ridge Farm held the legacy of a working ecosystem and a gathering place. Sarah Reeves operated a well-known “egg route,” raised chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, cattle, and horses were boarded on her farm. The farm was an active part of the community in a way that subdivisions rarely are.

Sarah Reeves’ civic and cultural interests led to statewide recognition. She was a trustee at Methodist University and supported the North Carolina Museum of Art, but the farm was her anchor, a place for family and community stewardship.

This factor underscores the transition’s significance. The decision by the Reeves heirs to liquidate their land for the purpose of subdivision aligns with a prevailing trend in North Carolina, where multigenerational farms, traditionally sustained by minimal financial leeway and enduring familial connections, are now frequently repurposed for residential construction. Increased property values, tax burdens, and evolving family needs contribute to these sales, resulting in cultural degradation.

Parkside Village may meet the needs of those migrating to Sanford, but it comes at the cost of Reeves Ridge Farm, a legacy of local identity now being absorbed by the spread of urban development.

The next City of Sanford Council meeting is May 5 at 5 p.m.

April 24, 2026

Stephanie M. Sellers

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