City Council to meet Monday
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on August 16, 2015 1:50 AM
The focus at Monday's Goldsboro City Council meeting will likely be a public hearing on a rezoning request by Dillard Academy to convert an building for office use.
In order to use a building the school owns for offices and storage space, which would require a change in zoning from General Business to an Office and Institutional-1.
Surrounding zonings in the area include: Office and Institutional-1 to the north, I-2 General Industry to the south, R-6 Residential and General Business to the East and Office and Institutional-1 to the west.
The hearing on Monday night is open to any and all members of the public for comment. No action will be taken by the council immediately following the meeting, but the planning commission will provide a recommendation to the council at the following meeting.
There will be roughly a dozen more items discussed at the council meeting Monday, including six work session items and three presentations.
On the consent agenda is an item authorizing the city to enter into an agreement with McKim and Creed, Inc., to complete the third phase of the city's ongoing sewer rehabilitation project.
The total fee for services is estimated to be $297,600, and the money will come from the city's sanitary sewer bond proceeds.
McKim and Creed, Inc., is part of the next item on the consent agenda as well. The item is to authorize the company to drain a water basin at the end of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base's runway to reduce the number of waterfowl getting in the way of aircraft.
The basin will be drained at a cost of $15,000 by McKim and Creed, Inc., and grass will be planted in the basin to reduce the area's appeal to waterfowl.
This is being done to reduce the number of birds striking aircraft. In an emergency, the basin can be re-filled and re-drained.
Last on the consent agenda is an item authorizing the appointment of Tracy Lewis and Earl Nixon Sr. to the Community Affairs Commission.
Following an inquiry by the city council for the inspections department to investigate the state of buildings surrounding the soon-to-be-completed transfer station on Carolina Street, Chief Inspector Allen Anderson will provide the council with a report on the issue during the work session.
"I'm speculating that the council will be most interested in the buildings immediately surrounding the transfer station," Anderson said.
He said he analyzed the area lined off by Alabama Avenue, Chestnut Street, Virginia Street, Ash Street, George Street, Mulberry Street and Walnut Street.
Anderson found that seven buildings in that area have recently been demolished, three are considered demolished by neglect, 10 houses are considered to be minimum housing and eight houses are under renovation.
Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation Director Julie Metz will give the council a presentation during the work session on banners that have been designed to hang on Center Street when Streetscape is completed.
Ms. Metz said she hand-picked a committee to conceptualize and finalize the banners, and they will hang throughout the Center Street area on the newly erected light poles. Down the middle of Center Street there will be double-armed light poles, so two banners will hang on those poles.
The banners have one of five "action words" printed on them, Ms. Metz said, and the art featured on the banners was created by one of five child artists. The children who created the designs were selected by local artist Penny Craven. The five words are: "Create, Live, Play, Shop, and Work." They will be paired on the Center Street light poles with banners that read "Whatever you do, do it downtown."
Scott Barnard will provide the council an update on name choices for the renovted Goldsboro Country Club, which the city bought upon its closure.
Current nominees for names are:
* The Goldsboro Golf and Special Events Center.
* The City Club.
* The Boro's.
* The Goldsboro Special Events Center.
* The Eagles Nest Golf and Events Center.
* The Eagles Nest at the Goldsboro City Club.
* The Muni at the Boro's.
* The Eagles Nest Golf and Tennis Club at the Goldsboro Special Events Center.
* The Boro's Eagle Nest Golf and Tennis Club and Goldsboro Special Events Center.