Commission to hold public hearings
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 17, 2008 1:46 PM
Three public hearings are on tap when county commissioners meet Tuesday morning. The hearings will get under way at 9:15 a.m. in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the courthouse annex at 224 E. Walnut St.
Two of the hearings deal with proposed amendments to county ordinances and the other a $100,000 appropriation for matching funds for a state grant.
In September, the county received a $100,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund to assist with the location of a new industry in Mount Olive. The grant requires a local $100,000 match.
The grant will be used to help Triangle Spring, a division of Triangle Suspension Systems, open a manufacturing plant in Mount Olive to make heavy-duty truck suspension springs.
In return, the company will invest nearly $6.2 million and create 102 jobs over the next three years.
Company officials say that salaries will vary, but the average annual wage will be $30,196, not including benefits. That is more than the Wayne County average annual wage of $27,664.
Triangle Spring will be located in a portion of the building now occupied by its sister company, IMPulse NC, Inc.
Commissioners also will consider two ordinance amendments.
The first would establish new off-street parking and loading standards.
They include:
*Establish minimum and maximum number of parking spaces for various uses.
*Require paving for parking areas with six or more spaces.
*Encourage the use of shared parking for mixed uses.
*Establish stacking requirements for uses with drive-up windows.
*Create minimum parking space size.
*Require interconnectivity between adjoining parking areas.
The second proposal would amend the county's outdoor advertising sign ordinance to allow electronic signs.
The question of electronic signs was broached at an earlier board meeting in which commissioners were told that some of the signs are valued at $100,000.
Commissioners joked that having signs with that value would help the county's tax base.
Under the amendment, no flashing or intermittent illuminated signs would be permitted. Animation signs also would be prohibited.
The amendment would allow signs with automatic changeable faces -- signs that change the message or copy on the sign facing electronically by movement or rotation of panels or slats.