One of two multi-plexes on hold
By Barbara Arntsen
Published in News on March 2, 2004 2:00 PM
One of two multiplex movie theaters planned for Goldsboro suffered a setback Monday night when the City Council deferred making a decision on its site and landscape plans.
All Star Entertainment is one of two companies hoping to build a theater in Goldsboro within the next year. All Star's 14-screen theater would be on 12 acres between Berkeley Boulevard and Central Heights Road behind Lowe's Home Improvement Store.
United Entertainment Co. plans to build a 12-screen theater off the Martin Luther King Expressway near the Best Western Motel and Norwood Avenue.
A representative from United said that the area won't support two large theaters, so both companies are trying to be the first to open.
The city planning commission recommended approval of All Star's site and landscape plans, contingent upon approval of stormwater calculations by the engineering department.
City Manager Richard Slozak told the council during a briefing that the state Division of Water Quality approved All Star's stormwater plan.
"The city's in the process of reviewing the plan, and it will probably be approved some time next week," Slozak said.
Councilman Bob Waller said he felt uncomfortable with passing the plan without the city engineering department's approval.
"There has been so much concern about the water drainage problem out there," Waller said. "I think we should defer it until the engineering department finishes its review."
Several citizens have expressed concern about problems with flooding in the area, largely caused by small drainage pipes and a ditch overgrown with shrubbery.
The city has been looking for ways to clean out the ditch to improve drainage, but the details haven't been worked out. The ditch is identified by a "blue line" on state engineering maps and is protected by the stringent Neuse River buffer rules.
A state transportation engineer has said the drainage pipes under Berkeley Boulevard are too small, but that they won't be replaced until they deteriorate. The state said it would consider replacing the pipes earlier, but only if an agreement to keep the ditches in the area clean were in place.
United Entertainment, which is planned for the Martin Luther King Expressway, must still submit site plans, but those plans can be approved by city staff because the land is zoned for general business and only has one building on site.
All Star, however, must go back before the council for site plan approval, because it is in a shopping center zone.
In other matters the council did the following:
*Rezoned the southwest corner of Wayne Memorial Drive and Sixth Street from R-9 residential to neighborhood business. The new zone will permit commercial establishments that are primarily designed to serve nearby residential areas.
*Rezoned the north side of Fedelon Trail between North William Street and Salem Church Road from R-16 and R-12 residential and I-5 general industry to general business and I-5 general industry. The new zone will allow a wide variety of commercial uses, including retail sales, and the I-5 zone will permit a wide variety of industrial and warehouse uses.
*Denied a request to rezone the north side of Patetown Road between Spring Street and Country Day Road from R-16 residential to R-9 residential. Instead, the council rezoned the area as R-12 to be more in keeping with the area.
*Granted a special use permit to the Brian Center on the east side of Wayne Memorial Drive between Ninth Street and Seventh Street. The permit will allow the nursing home to build a 2,481-square-foot addition to house 10 additional beds.
*Approved a site plan revision for Ashley Park Apartments on the west side of Cuyler Best Road between New Hope Road and North Park Drive. The site plan will allow the developer to build two 2,000-square-foot storage units.
*Approved a final subdivision plat for East Coast Transport on the south side of Vann Street between Branch Street and U.S. Highway 117.
*Approved a revision to a site and landscape plan submitted by Java Jo'z at Crossroad's Shopping Center, formerly Eastgate Shopping Center.
The property is on the west side of Berkeley Boulevard between Graves Drive and Cashwell Drive in the Crossroads Shopping Center.
The new plans include a 194-square-foot building, which will house a drive-through coffee shop.