Olive Garden coming to Goldsboro
By Ty Johnson
Published in News on June 7, 2011 1:46 PM
When the City Council approved its consent agenda Monday in a 6-0 vote, it likely had the full consent of city residents as well, as the measure contained the site and landscape plans for an Olive Garden restaurant coming to Goldsboro.
The current building housing the Sears Car Care Center on Berkeley Boulevard between Ridgecrest Drive and U.S. 70 East will be demolished and replaced, instead, with a 11,311-square-foot structure that will house the restaurant and leave 3,514 square feet for retail sales.
"The Olive Garden is one of two restaurants that I get asked about more than any other," Mayor Al King said, adding that Red Lobster also comes up in conversations with citizens.
An approval of site plans is valid for one year, during which building plans must be turned in to receive a building permit. Businesses usually begin construction shortly after receiving that permit. If the building plans are not turned in during the year for whatever reason, the site and landscape plans must be submitted again.
That was the case Monday night in another item on the consent agenda, as New Century Bank resubmitted its plans for a new location on Wayne Memorial Drive between U.S. 70 Bypass and Lockhaven Drive.
The council also approved the site and landscape plans for a modular building to house eight classrooms at Dillard Academy to bring the school's class size down to 15 students per class. A new computer lab would also be possible with the construction of the building.
The council deferred a decision on its redistricting proposal, with council members Bob Waller and the Rev. Charles Williams expressing continued dissatisfaction with the maps. King voiced his concern with the deannexation bill still in committee in Raleigh which would remove Phase 11, about 1,100 residents, from District 1.
Interim City Manager Tasha Logan said Bobby Bowers, the city's consultant on the redistricting process, would be asked to return once more to discuss options with the council. Bowers is scheduled to be at the county commissioners' redistricting public hearing Thursday.
In other business, it will now cost more than twice as much for burial spaces at Willowdale and Elmwood cemeteries as the prices for the plots have been raised to compete with other municipal cemeteries in the area.
City residents were charged $300 for a single grave lot, $600 for two-grave lots, and $1,200 for four-grave lots. Non-residents were charged double the prices.
Surveys at other local cemeteries, however, revealed that single lot prices ranged from $1,300 to $3,000 and other municipally owned cemeteries charged between $355 and $980 for single lots.
Citing that the prices had not been updated since June 2004, the council approved a resolution establishing new costs for grave plots with single spaces costing $750, two-space lots costing $1,500 and four-space lots for $3,000. Non-residents will still pay double the price for the grave sites.
During the work session, Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. Director Julie Thompson again made a proposal for the city to donate a house to a magazine promotion contest.
On Tuesday, May 31, the council approved the donation of the house at 408 S. John Street, known as the Nettie B. Taylor House, to "This Old House" magazine for a giveaway contest for its readers.
Ms. Thompson said the magazine told her that it was looking for a larger and grander house than the cottage on South John, and suggested the council instead donate the Molly Smith Thompson house at 111 N. Virginia St.
The city acquired the house in 2007 for $20,000 along with the adjacent lot which is listed as 113 N. Virginia.
The winner of the contest, besides being bound to the city's rehabilitation agreements, would have the option of purchasing the adjacent lot. The contest will feature phone scan tags in the magazine that readers can scan to learn more about the house.
The city waives all rights to profit from the sale of the house by donating it to the magazine promotion.