Lee County to review 618 acres in project proposals

Lee County will review project proposals covering approximately 618 acres of mostly forest and farmland in June.

Midtown Apartments

Applicant Beth Blackmon proposed a multifamily apartment development on 10 acres of forested land with 200 units directly across from 750 Colon Rd.

The development proposed open space and amenities, with a single access point to Colon Road.

The City of Sanford states that the site was incorporated as a multifamily section of the Midtown Village (Part II) development in 2022. In its initial form, it proposed 192 multifamily units. On June 6, 2023, the city council ratified the rezoning proposal; however, the multifamily elements associated with the Midtown Village (Part II) project were omitted.

The applicant proposed a site plan-specific conditional zoning district for the site to be developed as proposed. A conditional rezoning request requires a neighborhood meeting and public hearing held among the Sanford Planning Board and Sanford City Council.

If the rezoning is approved, a full civil plan set would have to be reviewed and approved by a preliminary committee before building permit applications could be submitted.

Cool Springs Road Subdivision

Applicant Garret Neal proposed a 29-lot major subdivision off Wicker Street with public water and private sewer.

However, if the proposal changes the request to city sewer, the 25-acre site in Sanford’s extraterritorial jurisdiction would need to be annexed.

The zoning is SN12 and allows major subdivisions by right.

The property owner is 2075 Investments LLC in Virginia.

Poplar Springs Road Laydown Yard

Jamaar Jones, the applicant, presented a proposal for a temporary 9.74-acre laydown yard for Thalle Construction, which is working on the city’s water treatment plant’s expansion. The project would share its location with an existing logging enterprise. The contractor plans to return the site to the property owner, who will then exclusively manage it for logging operations, once the contractor’s use has concluded.

Public water is accessible, and a private on-site septic system will be required for site service.

The project requires conditional rezoning in order to be developed as proposed. If the rezoning is approved, the property owner must apply for building permits.

Deep River Road Subdivision

Elizabeth Brown’s 89.97 forested acres are up for a major subdivision review with applicant David Arnold, who proposed 48 single-family lots with public water available along Deep River Road and would use private septic.

Swanns Station Road Event Venue

Andrew Porter proposed a wedding venue at 4191 Swanns Station Road on 55.71 acres in the county. The property is zoned RA, and the use is allowed with a special use permit.

The applicant proposed public water and private sewer.

Lee County’s Data Center

PointeOne Data Center is proposed for 4079 Lower Moncure Road in Lee County, North Carolina.

Applicant Jonathon Rhine proposed the 428.85-acre light industrial data center with a fire water tank, fire pump house and associated infrastructure.

Rhine proposed public water and sewer.

The project manager would be Steve Russel.

According to Lee County Government, this is the first time this project has been proposed for review and is categorized as “Data Center” and permitted within the LI (Light Industrial) zoning district subject to supplemental development standards found in §5.52 of the Unified Development Ordinance.

If approved by the preliminary review committee, the next step in the process is building permit application submittal.

The property is owned by Helix Ventures, a real estate investment firm in Cary.

June 8, 2026

Stephanie M. Sellers

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