Rezoning request raises concern among residents
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on February 16, 2016 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/ETHAN SMITH
Patrick Gallagher, who lives on North Leslie Street, has submitted a rezoning proposal to the Goldsboro City Council that would allow him to begin operating an events center on his property. Other residents in the area are worried about the noise events at the residence could produce.
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News-Argus/ETHAN SMITH
Carol Parker opposes the rezoning request to accommodate an events center in her neighborhood during the public hearing.
A public hearing at Monday night's Goldsboro City Council meeting saw citizens come out to both support and resist a proposed rezoning on the east side of Leslie Street between Mulberry Street and Walnut Street.
Supporters of the measure say rezoning the property to allow for a special events center to be operated on the site would improve the area, while those in opposition to the measure are worried about the center being noisy and potentially increasing crime.
Patrick Gallagher, the applicant for the rezoning measure, said rezoning would allow him to begin operating an events center in a residential area on his own property, which would bring nothing but good things to the neighborhood.
Gallagher and his wife live on the property and would continue to live there as the events center begins operations. He would use a portion of the property as an events center, while the other portion remained his family's private residence.
"It's a lot more than we will ever use ourselves," Gallagher said. "We just see so much potential to do so much more than what we ever could dream of doing ourselves, to avail that to the citizens of Goldsboro, to have events or parties or things there -- and it won't be a bar by any means, you can't just drive up there and hop in. We're going to have a police presence on every designated event. I've already been in touch with the police force, they designate how much it's going to cost me and it's doable."
Gallagher said the area will be well-lit, also. There are no firm times for how late events will run as of yet, but Gallagher said he does not foresee any event running later than 12:30 a.m.
He said he wants the area to be a place of high regard.
"We're just trying to lift it up," Gallagher said. "It won't be a cheap place where people can come and get drunk, in no way at all. It'll be very upper class. We hope to get in touch with Seymour Johnson (Air Force Base) and have some of their functions there, even for the city of Goldsboro to come hold meetings at our place four blocks away."
He also said he would be installing lights on the property, which would "run out the criminals."
"That area is a rough area," Gallagher said. "I've called numerous times (when) I hear gun shots. I took (City Manager) Mr. (Scott) Stevens' advice, which was when you hear a gunshot, call us and say where you heard it from. I must've called 10 or 11 times. The calls are getting less frequent, thank God. We just see that as being such a win-win situation."
But not everybody at last night's public hearing was supportive of the prospect of having an events center in the neighborhood.
Taj Polack, who is currently running for a seat on the Wayne County Board of Education, said he lives near the proposed site of the events center and is concerned about events being too noisy and carrying on until late into the night.
"My profession is a fireman with the city of Goldsboro, and on my days at work, throughout the night, I'm alarmed with the bells and the sound of sirens, and when I come home, I want to relax," Polack said. "I've been a homeowner on this block for about approximately 11 years, and about seven years ago, we had a group that had moved in -- I don't know if they were renting or renovating -- but for about a two-week period, they had a live mariachi band in the backyard at two or three o'clock in the morning."
Polack said he is worried that the noise from events will be loud and disturb his peace at home, and that the rezoning to allow an events center would only benefit the property owners and not the neighborhood as a whole.
"We're talking about proposing to have a 70-car parking lot in a residential area, in my backyard, and like I said, with that kind of event taking place. I want there to be serious consideration with this moving forward," Polack said.
Carol Parker, who also lives in the neighborhood where the events center would begin operating, also spoke in opposition of the rezoning proposal.
"My concern is, when I first purchased the property on Mulberry at 700 E. Mulberry St., there was prostitution on that street, there was so much stuff going on on that street, and I feel as though with what Patrick (Gallagher) is trying to do, it's just opening up (the area) for problems," Ms. Parker said. "The problems that kind of slowed down a bit, I think it will start all over again with the fact that the entertainment he is trying to bring to the property -- it's not a very good idea."
Ms. Parker also said she is worried Gallagher has ulterior motives to begin operating a portion of his property as an events center.
"I also feel as though it's a selling point," she said. "I feel as though Patrick (Gallagher) is gearing towards selling the property, and with having that entertainment idea on the property, it will be a great selling point for him. He's talked about a win-win situation, I think he is the only one who is benefiting from what he is trying to do."
No action was taken on the matter immediately following the public hearing, and the city's planning commission will return a recommendation to the council at their next meeting.