County to eye rezoning requests
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 19, 2012 1:46 PM
The Wayne County Board of Commissioners will hold three public hearings at its meeting Tuesday, and is expected to schedule another for next month. All of the hearings involve planning matters.
Beginning at 9:15 a.m., the board will hold two public hearings on rezoning requests and a third on amending the county zoning ordinance.
The meeting will start with an 8 a.m. agenda briefing followed by the regular session at 9 a.m. in the commissioners' meeting room on the fourth floor of the county courthouse annex.
The first hearing concerns a request by Ronnie Matthews to amend the county's Light Industry Zone to allow cemeteries as a permitted use.
Matthews wants to establish a private cemetery at 423 Millers Chapel Road. However, the county has received a petition signed by nearly 250 neighbors who are against the change.
The Wayne County Planning Board has recommended approval of Matthews' request, with a stipulation that chapels not be allowed in the zone if they fall within the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Accident Potential Zone II or high noise areas above 80 decibels. Officials with the base's engineering office agree. The accident potential and noise zone extends miles beyond the ends of the base runway.
The second hearing concerns a petition from James B. Sasser to rezone a lot totaling 35,600 square feet on the south side of Genoa Road between the CSX railroad tracks and Woodland Acres Avenue from Residential Agriculture 30 to Village District.
The property is in the base's noise area. Additionally, it is located beneath the base's Approach-Departure Clearance Surface. Structures in that area cannot be higher than 295 feet.
Sasser wants to maintain his residence and open a used car sales business. However, the current zoning does not allow for business uses that require outside storage.
The Planning Board has recommended approval.
The third and final hearing will be on a request from National Salvage and Service Corp. to rezone approximately 54 acres on the south side of Old Mount Olive Highway between the CSX railroad tracks and Genoa Road from Light Industry to Heavy Industry.
The property is owned by BMCA of Goldsboro and is in the base's noise area. It also is located underneath the Approach-Departure Clearance Surface and carries a height restriction of 260 feet.
The company wants to take in used poles and railroad cross ties and process them into landscape material. The cross ties would be primarily delivered by rail. The product would be shipped out by truck.
The industry would have approximately 30 employees.
The current zoning does not allow that type of industry.
Approval was recommended by the Planning Board.
In other business, the board will consider establishing a public hearing for Dec. 18 at 9:15 a.m. to consider a change in the county's mobile home park ordinance.
The Wayne County Mobile Home Parks Association wants the county to eliminate a ban on mobile homes that are 15 years old or older.
In 2006, commissioners adopted minimum setup standards for mobile homes that, among other things, capped the age at 15 years for the homes that were being moved into the county and the used ones that were being moved within the county. Mobile homes in the county that are more than 15 years old cannot be moved if they had not had electricity in the 90 days prior to the move.
The association has asked that those restrictions be removed and replaced with current federal Housing and Urban Development standards.
State set-up standards adopted in 2004 regulate the tie down and foundation of the homes throughout the state. In 1976 the federal department of Housing and Urban Development adopted standards that controlled the construction of mobile homes.
The association has suggested that any used mobile home be inspected by an agent of the office of Wayne County Inspections to verify that the mobile home meets the current HUD standards.
The Planning Board has recommended the changes be made.
In another planning matter, commissioners will consider approval of a preliminary plat for the proposed 2012-lot Gander Lake subdivision. The owners/developers are Goose Lake Development and Rudolph F. Hooks. The project is located on the Pikeville-Princeton Road in northwestern Wayne County at the Johnston County line. The subdivision will have 201 lots that will front on 10 new streets. None of the lots will have direct access to Pikeville-Princeton Road. Two streets will provide access to Pikeville-Princeton Road. The subdivision is proposed to be developed in seven phases. Four of the streets will provide access to adjoining property. The property is currently vacant land and woodland.
In other business:
*Commissioners will consider awarding a contract for a company to administer the county's 2011 Community Development Block Grant N.C. Catalyst Program. Two companies, RSM Harris of Goldsboro and The Adams Co. of Warsaw, were the only two companies to respond to the county's requests for proposals. Harris, who has worked on several previous county projects, submitted a cost of $75,000 compared to The Adams Co.'s $97,500. Harris has been recommended for selection.
*The board has been asked to petition the state to add Beckfield Drive into the state highway system for maintenance.
*Commissioners will consider two tax-related requests. Jason L. and Deanna P. Britt have asked for the county to approve a late application to include their property in a present use value program that provides a tax break for farm property. Jerry M. Hill has asked the county to approve his late application for disabled veteran homestead exclusion.
The public comment section of the meeting will start at 10 a.m.