County to weigh zoning change
By Steve Herring
Published in News on January 15, 2012 1:50 AM
Wayne County commissioners are expected to act Tuesday on a rezoning request from Robert Perkins for property he owns on U.S. 13 South near Sandhill Drive.
During a public hearing on the request held at the board's Jan. 3 session, Rep. Efton Sager and Bobby Rex Kornegay, representing Perkins, spoke in favor of the rezoning. No one spoke in opposition.
In a letter to the county, Dennis G. Goodson, deputy base civil engineer for Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, said base officials have no objections concerning the rezoning requests.
Following the hearing, County Manager Lee Smith suggested that the item be tabled.
"I had (a) meeting with officials regarding some changes in that area," Smith said at that time. "We would ask that you would do the hearing, but not take action at this time based on additional information that I will be bringing to you."
Smith said he could not specify who the officials are or what the information is. However, an announcement is expected within the next month.
Meanwhile, it will be suggested that the board proceed with action on the rezoning.
Tuesday's session will get under way with an agenda briefing at 8 a.m., followed by the meeting at 9 a.m. in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the county courthouse annex.
Perkins wants to rezone a portion of his property at 600 U.S. 13 South from Residential Agriculture 20 (RA-20) to Residential 15 (R-15) to allow the division of the property into two conforming lots.
An existing house is on the property along the U.S. 13 frontage, and the current RA-20 zoning is in place to serve as a one-half mile buffer for the noise contours surrounding the base. The buffer also serves to limit density in the area in the event that noise contours are extended beyond their current limit.
The Wayne County Planning Board reviewed the rezoning request at its Oct. 12 meeting and recommended approval. It also recommended rezoning for six additional lots on U.S. 13 South, along with three on Sandhill Drive, to create consistent zoning.
In other business Tuesday, commissioners also will consider three subdivision plats, all of which were recommended for approval by the county Planning Board:
* Olde Mill Creek, Preliminary, owner/developer, Sasser Home Builders, 59 lots on the west side of Perkins Road across from North Pointe Drive in Stoney Creek Township.
* Dobbs County Estates Section 9, owner/developer, Grace G. Jones, 32 lots on Dobbs County Courthouse Road in New Hope Township. The property along the north side on Dobbs County Courthouse Road approximately 750 feet west of Piney Grove Church Road.
* Herman Jackson heirs final, owner/developer, Herman Jackson heirs, three lots the west side of Westbrook Dairy Road approximately 5,000 feet north of Selah Church Road in Grantham Township.
North Carolina Department of Transportation District Engineer Chris Pendergraph will present the county's 2011 annual statement on secondary road construction program.
Completed projects include:
* Manley Grove Road, grade, drain, base, and pave, $52,968
* Grantham Road, widen existing road one foot on each side, $144,732
* Thoroughfare Road, widen existing road one foot on each side, $331,592
* Oakland Church Road, widen existing road two feet on each side, $133,372
* Genoa Road, widen existing road, two feet on each side, $145,108.
Ongoing projects include:
* Various countywide surveys and right of way, $70,044
* Various countywide maintenance functions, $56,148
* Various countywide maintenance functions, $312,102
* Country Day Road, right turn lane at N.C. 111, $9,156
* Royall Avenue, construct a left turn lane at Imperial Drive, $21,081
* Burton Road, grade, drain, base, pave, $226,044
* Carmack Road, grade, drain, base, pave, no money yet spent
* Vaden Best Road, grade, drain, base, pave, no money yet spent
* Central Heights Road, construct a left turn lane at Eastern Wayne Middle School, $6,057
* Wayne Memorial Drive, construct turn lanes at Saulston Road, $12,403.
Commissioners will be asked to declare April 21 and Oct. 13 as amnesty days at the Wayne County landfill in Dudley by waiving disposal fees for residents, but not for commercial businesses or haulers.
In prior years, commissioners adopted amnesty days to encourage citizens to clean up roadways and yards.