Council to hold three public hearings
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on December 20, 2015 3:05 AM
The Goldsboro City Council will hold three public hearings at its Monday night meeting, one of which would limit the use of 43 acres on the west side of Thoroughfare Road strictly for the purpose of building a solar farm.
Heights Solar Farm has applied to request a change of zoning in the area from its current zoning of single-family residential to a residential conditional district zoning classification.
The property lies between Central Heights Road and the Norfolk-Southern Railroad lines that run through the area. Currently, the property is a stretch of woods.
The city's comprehensive land use plan designates the area the property is in as an area best suited for medium-density residential development.
Solar panels would cover 32 acres of the 43-acre property and be fenced in by a six-foot tall barbed wire fence. The panels would sit under two mapped flight paths and could present a glare hazard to aircraft arriving and leaving Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. City officials are waiting for comments from base officials on the matter, which should be submitted prior to Monday night's public hearing.
The applicant has told the city that construction for the solar farm would take four to six months, and would be a virtually unmanned operation once the project is completed. Only twice-yearly visits would be made to the site by the company, and there would be no daily personnel or activity on the site.
The second public hearing is concerning an application by Roy Creech requesting a rezoning of property on the south side of U.S. 70 West between Claridge Nursery Road and Westwood Drive from a general business zoning classification to a residential manufactured home park classification.
This site is currently where the Green Valley Mobile Estates are, and has been operated as a mobile home park since 1972. The city expanded its extra-territorial jurisdiction to include the site in 1994, and properties are allowed to continue operating as they are without being forced to switch zoning classifications after this occurs. At the time, the city designated the area as a general business zoning classification and the mobile home park was allowed to continue operating.
Manufactured mobile home parks included in the city's ETJ are allowed to continue operating even though they do not fit the general business zoning classification, as long as the number of lots do not increase and the city's removal and replacement guidelines are followed.
The mobile home lot had 49 mobile homes on the site when it was constructed in 1972, but there are only 19 remaining lots. Under city ordinances, mobile homes can be replaced within six months of one being removed. If a mobile home is not replaced after it is removed within that six-month timeframe, the lot loses its legal status allowing it to exist in the non-conforming zoning area and it can no longer be replaced.
The 30 vacant lots have been vacant for more than six months and therefore cannot be replaced. Creech, the applicant, wishes to purchase and upgrade the mobile home park and also utilize all 49 lots on the site. Therefore, rezoning the property to allow mobile homes to exist in the area is required.
No action will be taken by the City Council following both of these public hearings, and the city's planning commission will return a recommendation on the matters to the City Council at its Jan. 4, 2016 meeting.
The third hearing concerns annexing the Triangle East Timber Co. property on the east side of Wayne Memorial Drive and Best Avenue. The city's planning commission has recommended that the council approve the annexation of the property immediately following Monday's public hearing.
There are four requirements a property must meet for the city to annex a non-contiguous property, which the Triangle East Timber Co. property is. The requirements are that the property must be within one mile of the city limits, the city must be able to provide fire and police protection, the non-contiguous area must not interfere with the city's overall annexation plans, and public water supply must be available in the area.
The property meets all four of those requirements.
On the consent agenda there is an item authorizing $32,550 to be used from the city's unassigned fund balance to upgrade 173 street lights on Ash Street and 44 street lights on Slocumb Street to LED lights.
Upgrading the street lights to LED lights would save the city several thousand dollars per year in terms of operating costs, and the savings would allow the expenditure cost to break even in just more than two years.
Also on the consent agenda is an item authorizing the demolition of 13 condemned properties within the city limits.
The properties are located at:
* 3918 E. Ash St.
* 102 Bright St.
* 724 W. Chestnut St.
* 401 Creech St.
* 1208 E. Elm St.
* 404 Gulley St.
* 1108 N. John St.
* 1304 N. John St.
* 403 W. Oak St.
* 211 Shaw Court
*605 E. Spruce St.
* 613 E. Spruce St.
* 220 Wayne Ave.
The low bid for the project was submitted by A.K. Grading at a cost of $78,825.
There are eight additional properties on the consent agenda that are scheduled to be authorized for demolition to aid with the expansion of Willowdale Cemetery. The city acquired the properties through a donation from the Friends of Willowdale organization, and the properties are located at:
* 214 E. Elm St.
* 206 E. Elm St.
* 200 E. Elm St.
* Three houses at 200 Cemetery St.
* 504 S. John St.
The cost of demolishing these properties is an additional $36,800 and is also expected to be awarded to A.K. Grading. The city will appropriate an additional $25,625 for the demolition of these properties.
The City Council will hold its work session in the City Hall annex at 5 p.m., and the regular meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall.