Commission takes on request to change residential zoning
By Matt Caulder
Published in News on October 29, 2013 1:46 PM
The Goldsboro Planning Commission voted on a batch of planning issues, including a controversial rezoning, at its meeting Monday night.
The Planning Commission will present its recommendations to the City Council at its next meeting.
A request to rezone residential property on the west side of Cuyler Best Road from residential to office use has drawn opposition from neighbors, who appeared at a public hearing earlier this month to voice their concerns and submitted a petition that would force the City Council to vote 6-1 in favor for it to become law.
Commission member Chris Boyette said he was not opposed to recommending the property for an office residence use, which would maintain the look of the residence and require parking in the back but was not "comfortable rolling the dice on what will be there."
The commission voted to recommend the council deny the request without prejudice, allowing the property owner to seek rezoning again after a six-month waiting period.
Another request was for the rezoning of a 14-acre tract of land along Corbett Street that is planned as a subdivision. The land owner is seeking to have the property rezoned to allow smaller lot sizes.
The city Planning Department recommended to the commission that the change in zoning from R-16 to R-12 be granted and the commission voted unanimously to recommend to the City Council that the property be rezoned as requested.
In other business, the Commission voted to recommend a rezoning of the First Citizens Bank property on the northeast corner of New Hope Road and U.S. 13 North as a General Business Conditional Use district ahead of the expected sale of the location.
The commission also recommended the proposed operation of a used car lot on U.S. 117 South be approved for shrubbery buffer modifications and be allowed to patch existing paving on the property to adhere to the city's required paving policy.
"We wanted to make sure we got it where the cars could be seen from the road and we did that," rezoning applicant Rick Sumner said. "I'm pleased with how it came out."
The Commission tabled a decision whether to recommend approval of a sign for North Plaza off Spence Avenue pending more information regarding the business's agreement with the Bojangles restaurant about an existing sign.