County will eye rezoning request Tuesday
By Steve Herring
Published in News on July 6, 2009 2:10 PM
Wayne County commissioners Tuesday morning will hold a public hearing on one rezoning request and consider action on another.
The hearing on a request by Jim Daniels of Daniels Development will start at 9:15 a.m. in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the county courthouse annex. Commissioners will hold a briefing session on the budget at 8 a.m. and the meeting will start at 9 a.m.
A public hearing was held last month on the second rezoning request, one made by Commissioner Steve Keen.
No action was taken at that time, and several commissioners have indicated that they want sign and parking lot standards in place before approving Keen's request.
The sign standards were adopted last month. However, the public hearing on the proposed parking rules won't be held until August. It actually will be the second time commissioners have held a hearing on parking lot rules.
The first was held months ago. The board did not take any action, referring back to the Planning Board for further study. The second hearing was scheduled because of concerns that too much time had lapsed.
Keen, who also is a member of the Planning Board, has petitioned to have 70 acres rezoned on U.S. 70 west of Goldsboro near the Rosewood Wal-Mart.
The property, located on the south side of U.S. 70 just east of N.C. 581, currently is zoned Residential-Agricul-ture-20.
He has asked that 19.61 acres near the highway be rezoned to Community Shop-ping and the rear 51.17 acres be rezoned Residential-15.
Keen, who has recused himself from the discussions, plans on commercial development of the front property and residential development of the rest.
The Planning Board approved the request and preliminary plat for the housing project.
Some commissioners said they wanted to wait for the sign and parking lot standards because of the property's location on a major gateway into Goldsboro.
Daniel's rezoning request originally was made and approved by the Planning Board at the same time as Keen's request.
It was later discovered that the map used to show the property in question was incorrect and the public hearing process was restarted.
Daniels is asking that 16.7 acres on N.C. 111 at Ditch Bank Road be rezoned from Residential/Agriculture-20 to Community Shopping.
Daniels said he plans to build an office and equipment yard.
In other business, the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources is expected to ask the county to participate in a program to protect, develop and improve forestland.
Commissioners will be asked to appropriate $109,052 of the $272,631 project. The state would fund the remainder.
Under the agreement, the state would employ a county forester or ranger who would be assigned to help control forest fires. The ranger also would investigate the origin of the fires and enforce state forest fire laws.
Other duties would include taking preventative measures against fires, developing, and improving the county's forests through reforestation promotion and practice of forest management practices and for protection from insects and diseases.
Commissioners will be asked to adopt a proclamation in support of the Stop the Funeral Prayer Walk Day to be held July 25 at Lincoln Homes.
According to the resolution, the walk is designed to draw attention for the community to unite to stop the violence that has claimed the lives of young people
The board also will be asked to support resolutions requesting veteran status for the U.S. Merchant Marine seamen who served in World War II and another promoting the use of reusable shopping bags.