Local News - July 2003

Commissioners approve rezoning despite protests

Published July 9, 2003

By ALICE SMITH, LTN Staff Writer

Residents concerned about properties along a stretch of Gastonia Highway in the High Shoals community made passionate pleas against a proposed rezoning Monday night.

Lincoln County made three applications on behalf of land owners that six residentially-zoned properties along the road be rezoned as General Business.

Residents said the properties are eyesores and have attracted unwanted businesses and people in the past. They were concerned this could happen again.

Property owners said they wanted to provide the community with good retail establishments.

After hearing both sides,  the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners and the planning board voted unanimously to approve the rezonings.

All but one of the properties is currently being used in a commercial manner, since the businesses were present before zoning ordinances existed.

The rezoning will bring the properties into conformity, said Zoning Administrator Randy Hawkins.

Four of the properties are owned by GES Enterprise, owned by Sarah Vinson and Gretchen Robinson:

·  3728 Gastonia Highway is a building with three bays currently leased as an auto detailing shop.

·  3742 Gastonia Highway is a house with a full basement that the owners use as a residence when in town.

·  3756 Gastonia Highway houses a warehouse for arcade and vending machines upstairs and an office and workshop for W.F. Robinson Distributing Co. downstairs. Vinson said the building will eventually be renovated and partitioned into several retail businesses.

·  3770 Gastonia Highway is a building with two attached garage bays used for storage by W.F. Robinson. Vinson said it will be remodeled and partitioned into three retail businesses.

The other two properties are owned by Kate Kiser and Ella Mae McNeill.

Kiser owns 3775 Gastonia Highway, which is currently a general hardware store.

McNeill owns 3791 Gastonia Highway, an old service station being used as an auto repair shop.

Neighbors spoke against the proposal, saying it would open the doors for undesirable businesses.

Robert Lockridge, who has lived in the area for 15 years, spoke on behalf of nine residents who opposed the rezoning of 3728, 3742, 3756 and 3770 Gastonia Highway.

The group is mainly trying to keep auto repair garages, adult establishments and businesses serving alcohol out of the community, Lockridge said. They are also concerned about property value reduction and traffic.

Bobbie Sullivan, who has lived in the area for 65 years, said past businesses have led to drinking, cursing, fighting and drive-by shootings.

Sullivan said she would someday like to sell her house and is worried that the “undesirables” will affect that.

“I live in a junkyard — I feel like Fred Sanford,” Sullivan said. “I couldn’t give (the house) away right now.”

Lockridge presented the boards with pictures of the properties, showing mattresses leaning against buildings, junk cars sitting in yards and trash piling up.

Vinson, who lives in Goldsboro, said she was “seriously appalled” at some of the garbage and has given tenants 24 hours to clean up the mess.

She said many of the pictures taken by Lockridge were misleading and were not of her properties.

Vinson promised the area would no longer be a “shoot ‘em up area” and talked about the importance providing services to residents, especially the elderly.

“Will you people please tell me where they can order a pizza? … where they can do their laundry?” Vinson said. “We would like to see this community come back as the thriving community it once was.”

Since the eyesore issue was brought to light, code enforcement officials have started looking into the possible violations, Hawkins said.

The first step in that process is to send letters informing owners that they are in violation.

In other business, commissioners:

·  Voted 4-1 to approve an application from Jack Huss to rezone 30.5 acres on N.C. 182 from Transitional Residential to Residential Single-Family. Commissioner Carrol Mitchem voted against the application.

·  Voted unanimously to approve applications from Larry Keever, Steven Reel and Dianne Ingle.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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