Commission delays hearing on Mount Olive road closure
By Steve Herring
Published in News on May 10, 2011 1:46 PM
Wayne County commissioners last week delayed scheduling a public hearing on the state's plans to close a section of Zion Church Road just east of Mount Olive.
Commissioners had been expected to set the public hearing for June 7 , but instead removed the item from their consent agenda.
County Manager Lee Smith asked the board to table the item to allow state Department of Transportation officials time to talk with people in the Zion Church Road community. Smith said he is unsure when the issue will be back on the board's agenda.
The state has asked for the county's support of plans to abandon 200 feet of Zion Church Road (SR 1754) at the intersection of N.C. 55 and N.C. 403. There are no residences along the 200 foot-stretch.
County approval is needed in order for the state to make the improvements.
The intersection been identified as an area with a high crash rate -- 10 crashes in five years with one fatality. Upgrades will be made to the intersection's flashing lights and advances warning shoulder mounted flashers will be installed at the intersection as well.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation will pave the dirt portion of Emmaus Church Road from N.C. 55 to Zion Church Road to provide the residents access to N.C. 55.
In other business, the board held a second reading on codifying the county's ordinances before voting 7-0 to proceed with the process.
No one spoke at last month's public hearing on collecting and organizing county ordinance in a manner similar to the way state statutes are recorded.
Commission Chairman J.D. Evans became sick and left the April 19 meeting early and was not present for the vote. With Evans absent, the vote could not be unanimous necessitating the second reading and vote.
County Attorney told commissioners that the second vote was just an exercise in "an over abundance of caution."
The county has been working with a company to convert the ordinances to a format that can be placed on the county's website. However, the ordinances first must be codified.
Maintaining electronic versions will mean that the county would not have to maintain a large number of bound volumes that are outdated as soon as they are printed, county officials have said. One bound copy would still be available.
Commissioners also gave their blessing to a revised preliminary plat for the 35-lot East Lake subdivision. The owner\developer is J&N Developers, LLC.
The subdivision consists of 35 lots on the east side of Dollard Town Road and the north side of St. John's Church Road. The property is zoned Outer Horizontal surrounding Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Commissioners last month voiced concerns about the lack of interconnectivity to the adjoining property and sent the plat back to the County Planning Board for further review.
The developer revised the plat providing connection to the adjoining property and St. John's Church Road and the Planning Board met in special session to review the plat so that it could go back before commissioners
The subdivision lots will have access to Dollard Town Road and St. John's Church Road by way of a three new streets. A 1.17 acre area at the rear of the property has been designated as East Lake Park.
The board proclaimed May as Older Americans Month in the county and May 9-15 as Peace Officers Memorial Week.
The board met in closed session for an hour to discuss business/industry location and for attorney-client privilege. No action was taken when the board returned to open session.