Legacy Update: Clemmons

Clemmons was founded in 1802 by Peter Clemmons who moved to the area from Delaware. One of his descendants, Edwin T. Clemmons, was a stage and mail contractor who owned several stage lines based in Salem providing service to Clemmons, High Point, Raleigh, Asheville and Wytheville, VA. After the coming of the railroad in the 1870s, Edwin moved his stagecoach business to Asheville. He eventually returned to Forsyth County and gave money for the construction of the Clemmons Moravian Church and a school.

The Village of Clemmons was incorporated as a municipality in December of 1986. Today, the Village of Clemmons is a thriving community and a desirable place to live and work. The proximity of Clemmons to Winston-Salem via Interstate 40 has contributed to the rapid growth of the Village. As the Village has developed, the built environment changed from a smaller, village-scale community to a municipality with more auto-oriented developments.

Currently, there is a strong desire in the Village to redevelop in a way that reflects the historic community character. In 2010, Clemmons Community Compass, The 2030 Comprehensive Plan, was adopted by the Clemmons Village Council to guide the municipality’s future growth.

 

What principles of the 2001 Legacy Plan have been incorporated?

• Encouraging mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly developments: Village Point Small Area Plan, Community Compass Plan.
• Encouraging different housing types and “village-scale” town centers: Village Point Small Area Plan, Community Compass Plan.
• Creating more efficient, safe and convenient multimodal transportation system: Village Transportation Plan, Community Compass Plan.
• Making the community more livable: Tree Ordinance, Sign Ordinance and proposed study of and improvements to Lewisville-Clemmons Road.
• Connect streets to have a better system of roads: Community Compass Plan and Village Transportation Plan.

 

What Challenges Face the Community?

• Assuring that the appearance of existing and new buildings, development patterns and streetscapes contribute to the feel and desired identity for the Village.
• Developing design strategies and securing funding for improvements to Lewisville-Clemmons Road.
• Establishing a civic-focused Village Center at the Village Point/Novant Health development area.
• Adding more recreational opportunities.
• Implementing the Village Transportation Plan and developing a multimodal transportation system.
• Developing a 10-year Capital Improvement Program.
• Ensuring a stable Village economy that provides new public services and amenities at a reasonable cost.
• Making sure there is regional coordination and cooperation for land use decisions and utilities provision along the Village edges.
• Updating the Unified Development Ordinance to reflect goals from the Community Compass Plan.