The Mayor and Board of Commissioners for the Town of Blowing Rock met in regular session on Tuesday, January 9, 2001 at 7:00 p.m. Present were Mayor J. B. Lawrence, Commissioners Barbara Ball, Terry Lentz, Michael Sweeting, and Rita Wiseman. Commissioner Charles Travis was out of town. Also present were Town Manager Don Holycross, Town Attorney Allen Moseley, Town Engineer Marion Rothrock and Town Clerk Barbara Beach. Other staff members who attended were Director of Public Works Johnny Lentz, Police Chief Owen Tolbert, Zoning Officer Wayne Green and Zoning Administrative Assistant Sonya Long.

Mayor J. B. Lawrence called the meeting to order and welcomed those present. Mrs. Ball made the motion that the minutes of the December 12, 2000 meeting be approved as submitted. Mr. Lentz seconded the motion, and it was approved unanimously.

Mr. Holycross introduced the new Building Inspector, John Warren, to the Board and the assembly. Mayor Lawrence and the Council welcomed Mr. Warren to the meeting and to service with the Town.

Mr. Norman Zimmerman was present and sworn to request an amendment to the CUP that was approved for the Timberlake project in July 2000. The plans that were approved by the Council indicated that the existing tile roof would be repaired and maintained. However, the roof has deteriorated too much to be repaired. Mr. Zimmerman requested that a forest green standing seam metal roof be approved. He discovered just before the meeting that his second choice, a synthetic slate roof, was not approved for use in Fire District I. He then requested that standing seam copper be considered if they did not want to approve the metal roof. Members discussed the different materials that could be used and their preferences. Mr. Dan Timberlake arrived and was sworn in to address the Council. He agreed that he would use whatever type of roofing materials that Council wanted. After further discussion, Ms. Wiseman made a motion that the public hearing be closed. Mrs. Ball seconded the motion, and it was unanimously approved.

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Mr. Sweeting moved that a standing seam roof be approved, with a brown shade of color to be approved by Staff. The motion died for lack of a second. After further discussion, Mr. Lentz moved that the applicant could choose either slate or asphalt (architectural blend shingle roof), with the color to be approved by Staff. If the applicant can obtain synthetic slate with a Class A fire rating, this may be used instead. Mr. Sweeting seconded the motion. Ms. Wiseman commented for the record that the image of the Town is very important, and that Council does not like to subjectively decide on colors and materials, but sometimes it is necessary. Mr. Lawrence called the vote, and all members voted in favor of the motion.

Mr. Kemp Steen was present to advise Council that the applicant for Lincoln Homes requests that this item be tabled until further notice. All members agreed to table the public hearing for this matter.

Mayor Lawrence opened a public hearing to receive comment on a proposed conditional use permit for George and Cynthia Hanna to construct an office/retail building at 257 Sunset Drive. Mr. Bill Dixon, architect for the project, was present to answer questions about the plan. The Board discussed the width of the driveway and the adjacent retaining wall as well as the mix of brick and stone materials for the building. By motion of Mr. Sweeting, second by Ms. Wiseman, Council voted unanimously to close the public hearing.

Mr. Sweeting then made a motion to approve the draft CUP as written subject to the following changes: 1) the applicant must change the exterior brick siding to cedar siding or Hardiboard with the stone accents, 2) the site plan must be amended to reflect the re-design in the entrance driveway, 3) the applicant must increase the width inside the retaining walls to a minimum of twelve feet and rework the radius of that wall at the southwestern corner of the property so as to make a more practical ingress and egress to the site, 4) the site elevations are subject to a plan approval by a civil engineer, and 5) the colors of the building are subject to Staff approval. Mr. Lentz suggested that the motion be amended to require the applicant to repair the curb and rock wall at the street. Mr. Sweeting agreed, and Ms. Wiseman seconded the motion. All members voted to ratify the draft CUP as amended by the motion.

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Ms. Anne Burgess, representing the Middle Fork Greenway Association, reported on the Association’s efforts to establish a greenway along the Middle Fork of the New River from Blowing Rock to Boone. She explained that the plan would preserve the beauty of the land and the river. She requested that the Council allocate $833 to match the amounts requested from Watauga County and the Town of Boone to pay for a feasibility study and preliminary plan for the greenway. Mayor Lawrence urged the Council to support this request. Upon motion of Mr. Sweeting, second by Mrs. Ball, the members voted unanimously to approve funding for this purpose.

Mr. Holycross reported on the progress made in locating a company to conduct an in-stream flow study of the Middle Fork of the New River. The purpose of the study is to determine whether the Town can increase the withdrawal rate of raw water from the river without significant harm to aquatic life. The study would also study the effect of a higher withdrawal rate on adjacent communities. Mr. Sweeting moved that the Town Manager be authorized to retain Fish and Wildlife Associates, Inc. in the amount of $23,724 to conduct the analysis. Ms. Wiseman seconded, and it was unanimously approved.

Mr. Holycross presented a proposed amendment to the Police Department budget for fiscal year 2000-2001. In December of 1999, Council authorized Chief Tolbert to purchase a radio repeater, antenna, and new radio frequency to increase communications clarity between cruisers and dispatchers. At that time, the anticipated expenditure was $4,200. However, because of delays in obtaining the new radio frequency, the $4,200 was re-appropriated as part of the current budget. The new frequency is a "split" frequency and will require that the older mobile radios be replaced because they cannot be re-programmed to accommodate the new frequency.

The estimated costs for the repeater, antenna, new frequency, radios and related costs for re-programming existing equipment is $15,200. The re-appropriation of $4,200 and a grant from the Community Foundation in the amount of $1,000 reduces the balance to $10,000. Mr. Lentz made motion that $10,000 be funded from Unappropriated Fund Balance in the General Fund. Mr. Sweeting seconded the motion, and the members voted unanimously to approve.

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Mr. Holycross submitted a draft resolution to officially name the picnic pavilion as "The Rotary Pavilion." The Rotary Club conceived the idea to build the pavilion and was instrumental in designing the structure and raising funds for the construction. Though it is referred to as the Rotary Pavilion, it has not been formally designated as such. Ms. Wiseman made motion that the resolution be adopted. Mrs. Ball seconded, and all members of Council voted in favor of the motion.

There was no further business and upon motion of Mr. Sweeting, second by Mrs. Ball, the meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

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Town Clerk