Officials to hear rezoning request
By Steve Herring
Published in News on August 3, 2009 1:46 PM
A rezoning request by Wayne County Commissioner Steve Keen will get its second reading Tuesday morning during the commissioners regular meeting. Its approval would clear the way the way for Keen to begin development of the 70-acre tract on U.S. 70 west of Goldsboro.
The session gets under way with an 8 a.m. agenda briefing session, followed by the meeting at 9 a.m. in the commissioners' board room on the fourth floor of the county courthouse annex.
Keen has petitioned to have 19.61 acres rezoned from Residential-Agriculture 20 to Residential 15 in order to develop a subdivision of single-family housing.
He also has asked that 51.17 acres that front the site on the south side of U.S. 70 just east of N.C. 581 be rezoned from Residential-Agriculture 20 to Community Shopping to allow for commercial development.
The rezoning was recommended by the Planning Board, of which Keen is a member.
Keen has recused himself from discussions during Planning Board and commissioners' meetings including last month when the request passed its first reading. Keen's action set up the need for a second reading and vote.
Prior to the vote, Commissioners Jack Best and John Bell said the board needed to be cautious in order to avoid the appearance of favoritism.
Some commissioners and county Planning Director Connie Price have voiced concerns also about the county's lack of standards for signs and parking lots and how that could affect the appearance of property as it is developed.
Since then the county has adopted a sign ordinance and Tuesday will hold a public hearing on an ordinance regulating parking and off-street loading.
The early part of Tuesday's meeting will be devoted to four public hearings including the one for the parking lot ordinance at 9:15 a.m.
The first hearing, also scheduled for 9:15 a.m., is on a rezoning request by Prentice Grady to rezone property he owns at Dudley from Residential-Agriculture 20 to Community Shopping.
The Planning Board recommended approval. Grady wants to open a flea market on the site.
At 9:30 a.m. a hearing will be held on whether the county will allow fox trapping. Legislation is pending in the General Assembly that would allow an open season on taking foxes by trapping during the season as set by the N.C. Wildlife Commission. There would be no tagging requirements prior to or after sale of the animals.
A 10 a.m. hearing will focus on an application for a N.C. Department of Transportation Rural Operating Assistance Program.
The funds will be used by the rural side of the Goldsboro-Wayne Transpor-tation Authority's GATEWAY transit system.
The application must be submitted no later than Friday.
Grant funding would be applied to providing operational assistance for GATEWAY for the transportation of the elderly (age 60 or older) or disabled; Work First, Workforce Development programs and general public transportation needs; and for people who are not clients of human service agencies and who live in non-urbanized areas.
In new business, commissioners will consider the county assuming management of the Goldsboro-Wayne Airport.
The airport is currently managed by SIG Aviation. However, SIG officials last month made what they called an economic decision to end the contract with the Goldsboro-Wayne Airport Authority.
They cited slumping fuel sales and the loss of aircraft that had been based at the airport for the decision.
Originally, SIG wanted to end its contract Saturday, but agreed to stay until Aug. 9 to provide the county with more time to make a decision.
In other business Tuesday commissioners will consider:
* Awarding bids for an elevated water tank project at ParkEast
* Establishing a public hearing for Sept. 1 at 9:15 a.m. on a rezoning request by Ricky Young of Young's Auto Salvage
* Signing an agreement with the Village of Walnut Creek to inspect unfit and abandoned structures
* Reviewing the county's comprehensive plan.