Fremont board hears complaints about rezoning for business
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on August 17, 2006 1:47 PM
FREMONT -- Public hearings on two rezoning requests were held Tuesday by the Fremont Board of Aldermen.
The owner of property at 105 Blank St., is seeking to have the land rezoned from residential to highway business to accommodate a convenience store. About 10 residents voiced concerns about bringing the store into their neighborhood.
Safety issues, promotion of alcohol consumption, noise and traffic were among the concerns listed by the residents.
"It will be a one-lot highway business surrounded completely by residential," resident Sam Pierce told the board. "And if a retail business goes in there that sells alcohol, that's not very good."
Pierce noted both a school and church are in close proximity to the proposed convenience store, also.
Others said they were "totally opposed" to any road-side business in their neighborhood. Many argued that children in the area would "just not be safe around there."
Board members tabled discussion on the proposal.
The second hearing involved rezoning requests for property at 406, 408A and 408B W. Carolina St. also from residential to highway business. Several residents, including Pierce, spoke in opposition of the request, for "the same reasons as the other one."
The board tabled the issue.
In other business:
*The board asked the town administrator Kerry McDuffie to offer $150 each for 25 Christmas decorations to be put up around town during the holidays.
*Board members tabled discussions on the potential contracting out of condemnation work to the Wayne County Inspections Department. McDuffie told the board that in order to present strong cases against property owners in court, condemnation orders from licensed building inspectors was necessary.