On any given spring day at Guilford, students can take a walk in the wooded area, from all the way behind the lake up to Hodgins Retreat Apartments. This peaceful, picturesque atmosphere that distinguishes Guilford from other local campuses may soon be corrupted by a recently proposed expansion of the Hodgins Retreat Apartments. Thanks to a recent email from David Feagins ‘70, The Guilfordian has concerns about the expansion.

A rezoning battle is heating up in our local neighborhood. Recent rumors about the expansion of the apartment complex has stirred up talk among community members. The controversy dealing with border control in the woods is a long-standing issue among some faculty, students and staff who wonder what is being done to protect this historical land — the woods in question include a part of the Underground Railroad. This 90-acre parcel of land also represents a rare resource of undeveloped wilderness amidst the concrete sprawl of greater Greensboro.

Hodgins Retreat developer Randall Dixon currently owns 2.89 additional acres adjacent to the existing apartments. Some of you might know it as the old “Keiser Property.” Recently, Dixon submitted a rezoning application seeking to consolidate the Hodgins property and Keiser property into a single tract. This contract will enable him to construct up to 64 new apartment units in addition to those already existing as Hodgins Retreat.

According to Feagins, the construction of these new buildings and parking lots will necessitate the destruction of woods and create runoff.  These buildings and parking areas will be visible to those watching athletic events at the stadium and baseball field, as well as from other campus space.

Some other concerns expressed by community members have delayed the proposed expansion. The development will dramatically increase traffic on Foxwood, Dolly Madison and George White. Feagins mentioned the worsening of traffic flow through campus and along the intersections of Friendly Avenue, and since there are already two city bus stops, increased traffic may create a dangerous situation.

As we have seen from Hodgins Retreat police incidents reports, we are destined to lose the safe, walkable neighborhood streets and woods that surround us if this rezoning is approved by the City Council. More people, including students, would be moving into the new apartments, which means public safety may have additional stress maintaining safety protocols. Feagins mentioned that liability may become a larger issue.

The Guilfordian also agrees with Feagins’ point about how proposed construction will challenge Guilford College as it continues to promote a “green” campus. These expansions will create more noise and light pollution on campus, and we will not be able to control any litter or trash the residents may leave on or near campus. Plus, there will be more cars, which could create vehicle pollution.

Community members, such as the Editorial Board, have high hopes that the college will join in opposition to this proposed expansion. Based on facts in our news article (see pages 1 and 2) and information from Feagins, we believe that the expansion will hurt the Guilford community by creating more pollution and waste, a less-safe environment and an ugly setting. We agree with Feagins that our area does not need any more apartment space, especially when there are so many apartment options nearby.

We request that the college speak with the Hodgins administration to try and figure out a way to keep our college atmosphere and environment safe and beautiful.

Reflecting Guilford College’s core Quaker values, the topics and content of Staff Editorials are chosen through consensus of all 14 editors and one faculty adviser of The Guilfordian’s Editorial Board.