Sanford approves $11M incentive for $600M medical project, advances Tramway growth toward Bruce Coggins Road

On July 21, the Sanford City Council approved over $11 million in incentives for a confidential $600 million medical project, approved annexations and reviewed rezoning proposals that continue the city’s expansion into Tramway and toward Bruce Coggins Road.

After a public hearing, the council approved grant funds for economic development incentives for “Project Sol.”

The council agreed to participate in the cost of the land, construction, machinery, and equipment over seven years in the form of an approximate $11,027,573 grant. An unnamed medical company will invest $600,000,000 and projects annual salaries of its 335 new employees at $71,132. Sanford will use its general fund to manage the grant payments.

The funding approval precedes the location of the commercial property, the identification of the medical company and its exact business proposal.

On July 14, Lee County Commissioners approved $12,915,175 in incentives.

The combined incentives total $23.9 million.

Reportedly, the incentives aid the competitive drive for the new manufacturing center as it chooses between Lee County’s Helix Innovation Park and Minnesota.

Central Carolina Community College heavily invested in bioprocessing education with the purchase and overhaul of the former Magnetti-Marelli building, still under hazardous waste remediation indefinitely, with the E. Eugene Moore Manufacturing and Biotech Solutions Center.

The council annexed 16.853 acres into city limits.

The council approved CPW Development Properties, LLC’s request to annex .94 acres contiguous by nature to the First Health Clinic and AutoZone to the west and the recently annexed properties to the north, already located within the city limits on Marketplace Drive.

The Future Land Use Plan identifies the area, which is in Tramway, as Mixed Use Activity Center.

Applicant Matthew Taggart with Rhetson Companies, Inc in West End, said the unnamed project on .94 acres continues the masterplan to continue city services into Tramway.

The council approved Taggart’s request to annex 15.93 acres on Tramway Road, again as part of the masterplan.

The 15.93 acres are not marked for development in Taggart’s presentation slide, “Tramway Master Plan,” as seen below. Look for the foot-shaped property on Cellas Lane in the upper right and compare it to the Google Map image marked in red.

During the council’s public hearings on rezoning requests, Member Mark Akinosho described the bottleneck traffic problems in Tramway, and Taggart explained that the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) would conduct a traffic study and confirmed that school traffic from Grace Christian School and Southern Lee High School would be included.

The discussion on rezoning the 15.913 acres on Tramway Road involved the type of 20-foot buffer next to residential property lines. Taggart said they would have vegetation and, if needed, would build a fence.

Taggart said Rhetson plans to buy the adjoining property and are working on price negotiations. He said it was an extension of the Tramway Masterplan.

Later, when the planning board met to make recommendations, the board said they planned to continue developing down Bruce Coggins Road, which is the home of horse farms and rural homesites.

Member Mark Akinosho said during the public hearing that “residents should not be run off their property.”

Member Jean Dabbs asked about the owners of the horse property on Bruce Coggins Road.

Taggart said he had not spoken to the owner of the horse pasture property on Bruce Coggins Road.

Akinosho said the council could deny an annex and rezoning request when it was “detrimental” to nearby property owners.

“We have an open line of communication with that property owner,” Taggart said.

The planning board recommended each of the following rezoning requests and a Uniform Development Ordinance (UDO) amendment and will present them to the council for a vote on Aug. 4.

View presentation slides of how Oakton subdivision may look from the highway. Note that the green grass area leading to the treeline belongs to NCDOT, so the green grass is not a guarantee.

1. The “Gateway to the City,” as called by the council, returned to the table with renderings, as requested, to show how its proposed development would look to people driving into Sanford on U.S. Highway 1. The applicant for Horton, Brian Richards of Urban Design Partners, PLLC, requested the 111.6 acres on Colon Road for Oakton’s subdivision, rezone from RA to Oakton Conditional Zoning.

View details on how Sanford is losing its rural ambiance in Sanford tables “Gateway to the City” 473-home Oakton rezoning & planning board recommends rezoning more Countryside.

The North Carolina Consumer Law Center details recent legal issues with Horton Homes.

• CPW Development Properties, LLC’s request to annex .94 acres from RR to citywide C1 district.
• Rhetson’s request to rezone 15.913 acres on Tramway Road from RA to general commercial C2.
• Otter Creek Properties, LLC’s request to rezone 4.5 acres on Palomino Drive. The applicants changed plans for building townhomes because of their growing unpopularity and said they planned single-family homes on 6,000 square foot lots.
• Jacques Kohn’s request to modify the UDO on animal services to add a section on pet grooming with a set of regulations, including the removal of the 500-foot clearance requirement from residences.

July 22, 2026

Stephanie M. Sellers

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