Commissioners choose Price as legislative liaison
By Andrew Bell
Published in News on December 20, 2006 1:45 PM
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners chose Atlas Price as its legislative liaison for the General Assembly's 2007 session during its meeting Tuesday.
Price will work with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and state legislators during the General Assembly's session, which begins next month, to facilitate communication between the two governing bodies.
In addition to keeping the commissioners aware of legislative developments that are important to Wayne County, Price will also be asked to take the county's concerns to the legislators.
The commissioners also voted Tuesday to hold five public hearings at their Jan. 16 meeting, covering topics from planning issues to changing the zoning ordinance for a new animal shelter. The hearings will begin at 9:15 a.m.
Since the county's current ordinance does not have a zone that allows for a new animal shelter, the Wayne Planning Board recommended earlier this month that the construction of the shelter be included in every county zone as a special use. The board also recommended that any other pet service, such as a boarding or grooming facility and veterinarian offices, be considered for permitted use in the county's airport, heavy industry, light industry and community shopping zones.
After the public hearing, the commissioners can choose to change the county ordinance to allow for the construction of a new animal shelter.
The county has not finalized a location for the facility, but County Manager Lee Smith said he hopes initial construction will begin next month on the 11,500-square-foot facility that could cost as much as $1.2 million.
The commissioners will also discuss in January the planning board's zoning recommendations in and around the Goldsboro-Wayne Municipal Airport.
The commissioners placed a six-month moratorium around the airport three months ago to hinder encroaching development until the planning board and the commissioners devised a zoning plan that is in conjunction with the airport's expected growth.
Although the airport's existing runway is 5,500 feet long, the Goldsboro-Wayne Airport Authority want to expand the runway to 9,000 feet in the next 20 years. The Wayne Planning Department and the planning board suggested extending the airport's zoning past its existing runway to accommodate this planned growth.
A 9,000-foot runway will cut through the existing Mount Carmel Church Road, but commissioners and Wayne Planning Director Connie Price said Tuesday that is an issue the commissioners can consider at a later date.
The planning board also recommended changing most of the airport's zoning to light industry with pockets of airport zoning north and south of the facility.
Construction around the airport would also have height restrictions. No towers or other tall structures that are more than 150 feet tall will be permitted. Since those height restriction areas include portions of Goldsboro and Pikeville's city limits and extraterritorial jurisdictions, Price said county staff will work with both municipalities to ask them to adopt similar height restrictions.
Several months ago, residents living in the Raintree subdivision northeast of Goldsboro submitted a petition to the county's planning department asking for the subdivision and surrounding area to become a zoning area.
The zoning area proposed by the planning board extends from U.S. 13 to the proposed U.S. 70 bypass north of Goldsboro's extraterritorial jurisdiction and from East Hill Street to west of U.S. 13.
The proposed intersection of U.S. 13 and the U.S. 70 bypass would be surrounded by community shopping zoning. Most of the remaining area would be zoned for residential use and include smaller sections for heavy and light industry. The commissioners will also hear comments on that proposal in January.
At that same time, the commissioners will also hear public comments concerning Ricky Young's request to rezone a portion of his land off of U.S. 117 South Alternate to heavy industry so he can expand his salvage yard.
The commissioners will also consider including a new zone, airport industry, to the county ordinance. The airport industry would allow manufacturing, printing industries, repair and construction services, utilities, communications, parks, recreational activities, agriculture and forestry and mining, among other uses.
The board will not meet on Jan. 2 so that members can attend an economic forum in Durham.