Lawsuit over Hughley Road development settled

By Dwain PennPending litigation among the city of Zebulon, Brent Pike LLC and Concerned Citizens of Pike Inc. reached an agreement within 30 minutes of the case convening in the Pike County courtroom on Nov. 21. According to the terms of the agreement, the development will not increase in size due to the reduction of density. The developer has agreed to place single family dwellings on one acre lots with a minimum size for each home set at 1,850 heated square feet. The legal fees incurred by the suit will be the responsibility of all parties to pay their own cost.Attorney Lee Parks, representing CCPI, addressed the court and informed judge Grant Brantley that a resolution had been achieved on the case. The judge countered with his long-standing policy of not removing a case from the court calendar until all documentations have been received. He cited an instance where two litigants had achieved a resolution and the case was removed from the calendar only to have the terms of the agreement fall apart.When a conference was requested to discuss the matter in court, the judge called for a 10 minute recess to allow the attorneys of the three litigants to work out the final terms to create an amenable resolution. Upon reconvening, an attorney for the city of Zebulon addressed the judge.’We are dismissing the action based on partial revision,’ said Rob Morton. Brantley requested a copy of the agreement be delivered to him later in the day for his signature and then gaveled the court in adjournment.