In a split vote Feb. 6, the Franklin Town Council approved a rezoning request for property on Belleview Road and Plantation Drive.
The request had been tabled from the January meeting when several nearby property owners spoke against the rezoning. Stephen Baldwin had requested that two pieces of property he owns be rezoned C-2 (commercial). One 1.95-acre tract, which he purchased in 2015, is already partially zoned commercial on the section that fronts Belleview Road and residential on the back portion. He operates his landscaping business from the property. Baldwin said Monday night that the full property is listed as commercial on the county tax records and he has paid commercial taxes on it since he bought it.
He recently bought an adjoining 4.06-acre tract on Plantation Drive that is zoned residential (R-1).
The Town Planning Board reviewed the request at its Nov. 21 meeting and recommended the council approve the request to rezone both properties as commercial.
Monday night two property owners spoke against the rezoning citing concerns about increased traffic on the road and noise. Baldwin said that the rezoning of both pieces would allow him to build a better entrance to the property rather than the blind drive that is there now.
One speaker suggested that since there is a need for affordable housing that maybe the residential tract could be used for that. Town Planner Justin Setser pointed out that the R-1 zoning allows for single family residential homes and modular homes. The property would need to be rezoned R-2 for mobile homes or commercial for apartments.
Baldwin said the layout of the residential property would not make it feasible for building homes as it is a narrow gap between his existing commercial property and the commercial property where Sleep USA is located. He also said the upper portion of the property is not easily accessible and would be better suited for greenspace or watershed areas.
Vice Mayor Joe Collins made a motion that the town rezone the 1.95-acre tract as C-2 since it is already partially zoned commercial. Setser said in researching that property that the front portion of the property has been listed as commercial at least since 1990. Rita Salain joined Collins in voting for the motion, but it failed on a 2-3 vote with David Culpepper, Adam Kimsey and Stacy Guffey voting against it. Council member Mike Lewis was not present.
Guffey said the rezoning request is one of the hardest issues the council has had to address since he was elected to the board. He went on to say that the rezoning might be for the benefit of the neighborhood rather than to the detriment that the other property owners feared.
Kimsey made a motion that the council approve the Planning Board’s recommendation to rezone both tracts C-2. The motion passed 3-2 with Kimsey, Guffey and Culpepper voting in favor. Collins and Salain opposed.
Sign ordinance public hearing
The council set a public hearing on an amendment to the sign ordinance regarding the size and placement of political signs. The public hearing will be held during the March 6 Town Council meeting.
If approved the sign ordinance will be more in line with what the state allows in regard to political signs. The town’s ordinance currently states signs must be removed three days after the election, but there is no direction about how early signs can be posted before an election.
With the amendment, signs could go up 30 days prior to early voting and must be removed within 10 days following the election.
The amendment states signs cannot be closer than three feet from the edge of the pavement of the road and cannot be more than 42 inches above the edge of the pavement. Signs cannot be larger than 864 square inches or 6 square feet. Signs shall not obscure motorist visibility at intersections and no political sign shall be permitted in the right-of-way of a fully controlled access highway.
Property taxes
Included as part of the consent agenda was approval to advertise delinquent taxes in mid-April. Currently there is $292,883.70 in outstanding collections. Second notices will go out March 1. Taxes are billed in August of each year and are due Sept. 1. Interest starts accruing on accounts not paid in full on Jan. 6. North Carolina General Statute requires tax collectors to advertise unpaid taxes levied on real estate. The advertisement will run in The Franklin Press.
In other business:
• The Town Council approved the reappointments of Susie Ledford and Denton Higdon as town representatives on the Town Planning Board and Dave Jones representing the Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction. The appointments are for three-year terms.
• The town manager reported they had applied for a $10,810.80 grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission. The funds would be used to buy body armor for new police officers and to replace expiring or expired equipment of existing officers.
Police Chief Devin Holland said the expired or unusable vests are dedicated to Southwestern Community College for use in training.
The Town Council will meet in called session for its annual retreat at 6 p.m. Feb. 17 (location TBD) and at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18 in the board room on the lower level of Town Hall.
The next regular Town Council meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday, March 6 at Town Hall.