To the Editor:

I’m not angry because the Troutman Town Council voted to approve the Clontz Hill Road rezoning and annexation requests. I’m angry because of why they approved it. If they had said they felt this was best for Troutman and its residents, I would accept that they believed that to be the case. But that’s not what they said. They said they were voting for it because a developer could sue the Town of Troutman if they didn’t vote to approve it. This came just after Town Manager Ron Wyatt stressed that Troutman could be sued if the rezoning was not approved.

What?

Because I’m not familiar with these laws, I figured I must have misunderstood what had happened, so I asked the mayor. He confirmed and explained that they had to approve it to avoid potential litigation.

You can listen to the exchange yourself by reviewing the video of that meeting (https://www.youtube.com/live/vVbbxzqN9So ) 6/12/25, Part 2, timestamp of 30:24. Listen to the comments by Mr. Wyatt, then the exchange between myself and the mayor (timestamp 51:34). It is clearly stated that it was approved for fear of litigation. He explains that if a plan meets the guidelines of the Unified Development Ordinance, Troutman is liable if it doesn’t approve the plan.

What?

It seems like something was very poorly written into law if the council members feel they have no option but to approve something.

The bigger liability for Troutman may be a lawsuit brought against the town if someone is injured or killed crossing between the Pulte development properties after a plan was approved despite the council’s own safety concerns. A future victim of injury due to this development certainly would have plenty of evidence on record that the town was concerned about the safety issues and chose to approve it anyway. I pray that never happens.

I appreciate the work the council does, and I respect the mayor who seems caring and well-informed. The Planning Board members did an excellent job sniffing out legitimate concerns and questioning the developer regarding these issues. It is baffling to me that the elected Town Council members, a group of intelligent, thoughtful individuals, felt they had no option but to vote in favor of something they clearly had strong reservations about. It was almost painful to watch them appear to be coerced to vote against their better judgment. I understand they felt their hands were tied, and that’s a shame and a problem.

After the business of Clontz Hill Road was all wrapped up, there was another speaker with some concerns about what the developer has done or failed to do in their two-year old development of Weathers Creek. Her comments and the responses from Mr. Wyatt are worth reviewing as well (timestamp 1:14:53), but I can sum them up here. The developer has failed to follow through on many promises made and doesn’t return phone calls and emails. The speaker asked what recourse the residents have and how the town can help. To paraphrase, she was told by Mr. Wyatt that she and her neighbors should seek legal options. He even said “…for you and others to fulfill your due diligence instead of asking us to do it.” I’m sure the residents have plenty of extra time and money and are well versed in property law to go after a developer that is failing to do what they promised the town. If the developer made the agreement with the town, it should be the town’s responsibility to hold the developer responsible. This will likely be the same fate of the residents of the new Clontz Hill Road development if Pulte fails to fulfill its promises. It will also be the fate of the surrounding homeowners affected by this new development, and they will have even less recourse.

Check the dates for voting for the Troutman government officials. If you are pleased with the decisions they are making, please be sure to support them. If you are not, please be sure to vote accordingly. By the way, the town manager is not an elected position. That position is appointed by the council. If you would like to weigh in on the job he is doing, contact the town council members via phone or email: https://troutmannc.gov/government/mayor-and-town-council/

The outrage felt by some of us Troutman residents is not because this development was approved; it stems from the reasoning behind the approval. It was clearly stated that this was approved not for the betterment of the town but out of fear of litigation. I have lost faith in the system and am left feeling hopeless. I loved Troutman. I still love my neighbors or I’d move.

Franny Hanrahan
Troutman