Local News - February 2003

Subdivisions put on hold

Hearings on east Lincoln projects resume in March

By JACOB RUDOLPH, LTN Staff Writer

February 5, 2003 - Plans to develop two large subdivisions in east Lincoln have been put on hold.

Public hearings on requests to rezone property for The Village at Cowan’s Ford and Paradise Lakes were continued until the next county planning board meeting on March 3.

“Seeing the concern and growing magnitude of (these issues), I recommend we keep this public hearing open,” board chair Jerry Cochrane said.

The primary concern voiced by most residents at the hearing was the effects both developments would have on the area’s traffic.

Even with developers wielding figures from a traffic study, reporting an average delay increase of only a few seconds for traffic turning onto N.C. 16, area citizens were not convinced.

Paradise Lakes developer Bob MacLeod, citing the group’s traffic study, said with six entrances to the subdivision, traffic would be widely dispersed and not have a huge effect on the community.

“The impact as we see it is not going to be tremendous,” MacLeod said.

Tommy Touchstone, a resident of Blades Trail, said the traffic impact of the Paradise Lakes development would, in fact, be a burden on his community.

“(Blades Trail) really is just a trail, it was never meant to handle this traffic,” Touchstone said. “It’s totally unfair to the community to allow that much traffic to be dumped onto Blades Trail.”

Paradise Lakes developers are seeking to rezone 249 acres to Planned Residential, to allow 316 single-family homes.

The development would adjoin Blades Trail, Burton Lane, Sarah Drive and Webbs Road, just north of Westport.

The public hearing for The Village at Cowan’s Ford was also continued by the board.

Don Hemby, past president of the Cowan’s Ford Homeowner’s Association, said he is in favor of the development, as long as numerous traffic problems can be alleviated.

“It’s become a nightmare to get out onto (N.C.) 73 for three hours in the morning, and especially in the afternoon,” Hemby said.

A traffic light at the intersection of N.C. 73 and Club Drive, near the proposed development, would resolve most of the traffic problems, Hemby said.

Subdivision developers agreed.

Ronnie Dedmon, one-sixth owner of the property, said developers support the addition of a stoplight at that intersection.

“We have no problem with a stoplight at (N.C.) 73 and Club Drive, if the D.O.T. will approve it,” Dedmon said.

Subdivision developers asked the board to support the stoplight, the widening of Club Drive and a turn lane at Club Drive and Turnberry Lane — all intended to alleviate community traffic concerns.

Developers are requesting 151 acres be rezoned to Planned Mixed Use, to develop 211 single-family homes, 30 townhomes and 20 acres of commercial property.

The property would encompass an area near the intersection of N.C. 73 and Club Drive, east of N.C. 16.

The county’s commissioners and planning board members also held public hearings on four additional requests.

The board voted 6-0 to deny the approval of a request to permit an open-air flea market in an area zoned Neighborhood Business. The 3-acre property is located at Reepsville and Alf Hoover roads.

The board voted 6-0 to recommend approval of:

· A request to rezone five acres at N.C. 150 and Henry Dellinger Road to General Industrial.

· A proposal to rezone 0.93 acres at Buffalo Shoals and Ivey Church roads to Neighborhood Business.

A request to rezone 1.27 acres at Reepsville and Killian roads to General Business.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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