Residents oppose 80-unit complex
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on March 22, 2016 1:46 PM
A public hearing about the potential development of an 80-unit apartment complex by Adair, LLC behind Goshen Medical Center drew sharp criticism from several citizens that spoke against the measure during Monday night's Goldsboro City Council meeting.
Among the chief concerns voiced about the potential development was that residents who live near the site where the apartment complex would go say that the area cannot handle any increase in traffic, which they believe a new apartment complex would bring.
"The Rosewood community has recently seen additions of Walmart, Sheetz and a host of businesses in the area. What it has not seen is a large widening of the roads to handle the increased traffic," said Jennifer Strickland, a member of the Wayne County Board of Education who attended Monday night's meeting to speak as someone who lives near the proposed site for the apartment complex. "With a new project, you can expect between 80 and 240 more vehicles on a two-lane road that is already very overcrowded. If you don't believe me, you can come to my house on 581 and watch the traffic between Highway 70 and Rudy's Grill after school lets out every day."
Mrs. Strickland also said she is concerned about the strain a new apartment complex would place on the local emergency response teams in Goldsboro. Additionally, she said, more people living in that area would mean an additional strain on the schools in that area.
"When there is an emergency call at the Walmart, there is already a significant delay from the PD," Mrs. Strickland said. "They're doing an amazing job, don't get me wrong, but now we're going to have to increase patrols in the area that was already formally patrolled by the county. Eighty new units will also put a tremendous strain on the Rosewood schools. All three schools (in that area) are already at capacity, meaning we will either need to increase classroom size or bring in trailers on all three locations."
Mrs. Strickland also said a similar project was proposed several years ago by John Bell, which was greatly opposed at the time by then-county commissioner Steve Keen.
"The current location (for the proposed apartment complex) is owned by Adair, LLC, whose registered agent is former commissioner Steve Keen," Mrs. Strickland said. "Can the city and community handle the increased burden on our police department, on the roads, on the schools? I honestly don't think we can, but that is a decision that is up to you gentlemen (on the City Council)."
A simple search on the home page of Keen's own website -- www.stevepkeen.com -- shows him listed as "founder and owner of Adair, LLC, a real estate development group."
Other opponents of the measure said the proposed residential development simply did not fit in with the other commercial developments already in the area. The city's comprehensive land use plan does recommend that the proposed site for the apartment complex to be developed as commercial property.
Mark Lesnau, president and chief executive officer of North Carolina Community Federal Credit Union, speaking on behalf of his company, addressed these concerns.
"We feel that the proposed rezoning is not compatible with the city of Goldsboro's comprehensive plan and the accompanying land use plan map as originally designed," Lesnau said. "Such a large structure and unit out there, as far as residential, could hamper additional commercial interest in that area."
Trey Taylor, a local attorney, was the only person to speak Monday night in support of the proposed apartment complex development.
Taylor argued that several similar projects had been approved by the city council in past years.
"I want to make very clear this is not Section 8 housing," Taylor said. "This is not a project that would have subsidized rent. Nobody living out there would get free rent. Everyone who lives out there will probably have to have a job because they're going to be paying rent. The purpose of this project is to provide upscale apartment living at affordable rents."
Taylor also said the proposed apartment complex would be a place where young, working professionals could get their start in the local community.
"It gives young people on a budget a nice place to go and live and start their family, and it gives alternatives for housing," Taylor said. "There are no large-size apartment complex developments out on the western part of town."
Taylor also said the concerns about the recommended zoning currently being classified for commercial shopping center development instead of residential development were irrelevant.
"If you check your -- and I know you will -- what's the permitted use in a shopping center zone, multi-family housing is permitted in a shopping center zone," Taylor said. "The issue here, and the reason we're before you to change to R-6 (residential), is we can't quite get the density in the shopping center zoning that's needed to make this project cost-effective."
None of the other three public hearings held Monday night drew criticism from the general public.
Those hearings dealt with a solar farm to be developed on the south side of Old Smithfield Road between Gin Road and N.C. 581; a proposed rezoning that will allow George and JoAnn Humphreys to sell items from the corner of U.S. 70 West and Claridge Nursery Road without being required to build a primary building to sell the items out of; and a request by Dustin Pike to operate a cigar lounge with ABC permits on West Chestnut Street between South Center Street and South James Street, behind Well Travelled Beer.
The fate of each item discussed during the public hearings held Monday night will be decided by the city's planning commission at its next meeting on Monday, March 28, at 7 p.m. in the council chambers of City Hall.