GREENSBORO – The rancor that once permeated the debate over the fate of the Heart of the Triad has quieted into a consensus about the future for one of the last large undeveloped areas in the region.

The Heart of the Triad Strategic Planning Committee met Wednesday to map out its plans for this year, providing guidance to residents of the area and elected officials with jurisdiction over the 18,000-acre territory on the Guilford-Forsyth County line. The Heart of the Triad, as outlined in a draft land-use plan map, is roughly bordered by U.S. 311, Interstate 40 and Sandy Ridge and Squire Davis roads. Much of the 18,000 acres now are either undeveloped or farmland, but the Heart of the Triad is envisioned as a place for growth in the coming decades.

The goal of the Heart of the Triad campaign is to produce high-quality development while preserving the character of the area and protecting private property rights, said Lee Burnette, planning director for the city of High Point. Burnette is one of several advisers to the Strategic Planning Committee, which is made up of elected officials and residents in the area.

Several years ago, the Heart of the Triad campaign, launched in 2004, was embroiled in controversy because residents of the area didn’t believe their concerns or input was being taken into account. That’s changed in the past year, said Heart of the Triad resident Pat Schreiber.

“We appreciate you listening to us now. People are listening to each other respectfully,” Schreiber said at the meeting.

The draft land-use plan would split Heart of the Triad property among open space, business and mixed use development and a variety of residential designations, from farmhomes to high-density residences. The land near the northern High Point city limit would be mainly residential.

The Strategic Planning Committee doesn’t have the authority to zone property. So its goal by the summer of this year is to make recommendations to the two county governments and five municipal governments with statutory jurisdiction over the area.

Before the recommendations are presented to local governments, the Strategic Planning Committee will hold an open house to receive public comment on the plan. No date or location has been set, though the open house may take place in April.

pjohnson@hpe.com | 888-3528

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The Heart of the Triad is an area identified as up to 18,000 acres along the Guilford-Forsyth County line that could become a mix of residential, retail and commercial development, along with preserving some land for open space. Most of the land in the area is now used for farming or is open space.

The Strategic Planning Committee has a draft land-use map for the area. To see it, check the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation Web site (www.partnc.org) under the Heart of the Triad section in the document archives listing.