Sanford approves $8.47M water tank project, approves rezoning, says goodbye to Reeves Ridge Farm

On May 5, Sanford approved a major water infrastructure project to support Wolfspeed and the Chatham Area Manufacturing site, approved rezonings, park funding and road repairs.

Sanford contracted with LKC Engineering for the CAM Site Elevated Storage Tank & Water Main Project at $8,474,600. The project installs 1,600 feet of 16-inch water line for a new water tank serving Wolfspeed and the Chatham Area Manufacturing site. Tank size will be 500,000 or 1 million gallons.

The water line will link to Highway 64’s and extend north to the tank. It will be placed on a 16-foot gravel road within a 40-foot easement.

The project covers design and delivery, including layout, permitting, bidding, construction management and final certification.

Sanford recognized State Wrestling Champion Nevaeh Williamson and her coach, Austin Parmer.

Sanford proclaimed May 7 as National Day of Prayer.

Public Hearings

Without any discussion, the Sanford City Council approved rezoning the former Reeves Ridge Farm’s 60.04 acres at 1041 Carthage Street, with road frontage on Wicker Street opposite the Kiwanis Family Park and Timberwood Place Apartments, from Urban Neighborhood and General Commercial to the Parkside Village Conditional Zoning District.

The planning board had unanimously recommended rezoning the historic farmland’s 60.04+ acres off Carthage Street for a subdivision because “Plan SanLee designation of Urban Neighborhood single-family dwellings are an encouraged land use and this component of the project falls within the suggested density of up to ten (10) dwelling units per acre.” Learn more about the project in “Sanford Planning Board recommends 271-home subdivision on Wicker Street.”

The planning board recommended rezoning Martha Lucas’ newly annexed 3.02 acres of land developed with a house addressed as 3126 Tramway Road from Residential Restricted (RR) to General Commercial for mixed-use activities, and the board approved the request.

Agricultural Marketplace, Parks, Service Personnel

The city allocated $36,500 from its fund balance to cover several projects. Of that total, $17,000 is for a comprehensive safety assessment at Kiwanis Family Park. Another $7,500 is for Public Buildings to fund a third-party after-hours response and call management service. The remaining $12,000 is for the Agriculture Marketplace security system.

Sanford approved a new position, Public Facilities and Parks Coordinator, within the Parks and Recreation Department, driven by growth in community programs, public engagement and the use of city-managed spaces, including the Sanford Agricultural Marketplace, where the new hire will spend 80 percent of their time. The new hire will be located at the marketplace.

For two month’s salary for the new Public Facilities and Parks Coordinator, a vehicle, uniforms and a computer, the city appropriated $52,040 from the general fund.

Road Repair

The city entered a memorandum of understanding with the North Carolina Department of Transportation to construct improvements on Carthage Street from Fire Tower Road to Wicker Street, including adding bike lanes, a multi‐use path, a sidewalk, and a raised median, along with roundabouts at the Fire Tower Road, Fields Drive, and Wicker Street intersections. Also, because a small part of Kiwanis Children’s Park, which is protected under federal Land and Water Conservation Fund rules, will be affected the city must replace the affected park land with other recreational land of equal or greater value. Sanford’s four city-owned parcels at the south end of Hudson Avenue act as replacement land. These parcels are next to Horton Park, another protected park.

Sanford will pay developers SDH Raleigh, LLC $57,168.18 to hire a contractor to rebuild Pin Oak Drive, which they originated, in the Arbor Glen subdivision.

The next meeting is April 21.

May 5, 2026

Stephanie M. Sellers

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