Planning and Zoning Board

 

Minutes

 

Thursday, September 15, 2005

 

 

 

The Blowing Rock Planning and Zoning Board met on Thursday, September 15, 2005.  Chairman West called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.  Members present were Cullie Tarleton, Ron Mace, Doug Drury, Nelda Miller, Jim Steele, Albert Yount and Sue Sweeting.  Staff members present were Scott Hildebran, Town Manager, Kevin Rothrock, Planning Director, Doug Chapman, Town Engineer and Sherrie Pitts, Administrative Assistant.

 

Mr. Tarleton made a motion to approve the minutes as submitted seconded by Mr. Steele.  All were in favor of the motion.

 

REZ 2005-02 Blowing Rock Art and History Museum

 

Mr. Tarleton and Mr. Drury, board members, stated that they both were on the BRAHM board, which might be a conflict of interest.

 

Mr. Steele made a motion to excuse both board members from this discussion. Sue Sweeting made a second to the motion. All members were in favor of the motion, members were excused.

 

Mr. Rothrock presented the staff report to the board. The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum (BRAHM) is requesting a rezoning of the Town of Blowing Rock’s property on the southwest corner of Main Street and Chestnut Street from O-I, Office-Institutional/CB Central Business (split zoning) to O-I, Office-Institutional. The Town owns the 1.19-acre subject property. Currently, there is a house on the property facing Chestnut Street being used as a maintenance storage building.  Edgewood Cottage is also on the property. The subject property is the proposed future site of an art and history museum and parking facility. The setback standards and building height standards would be more flexible with all of the property zoned O-I. A museum is a permitted use in the Office-Institutional zoning district.

 

Chairman West asked about the change from CB to OI. Mr. Rothrock advised that OI zoning was more favorable for the museum plans based on the setbacks and building height restrictions. Mr. Chapman, town engineer, was asked if he had or could see any problem with the change. He commented that he could not foresee any problems.

 

With no other questions of staff, Chairman West opened the floor to the Applicant.

 

Mr. John Calvin, Board of Trustee member of BRAHM, spoke and advised that he would answer any questions.

 

With no questions of Applicant, Chairman West opened the floor to the public. With no questions or comments the public hearing was closed.

 

Mr. Steele made a motion to accept the rezoning request as submitted, seconded by Mr. Yount. All members were in favor of the motion.

 

REZ 2005-03 Future Emergency Services Building

 

Mr. Rothrock presented the staff report to the board. The Town of Blowing Rock is requesting a rezoning of Town property located just off Valley Blvd. (Hwy 321 Bypass) from R-15, Single-family to GB, General Business. The 1.132 acre subject property is currently vacant, and was purchased by the Town with the intention of combining the property with an adjacent Town- owned property for the construction of a new emergency services building. The property lies within the WS-IV Water Supply Watershed. The request is to rezone the property from R-15, Single-family to GB, General Business. A fire/rescue or emergency services facility is not a permitted use in the R-15 zoning district, but is permitted with a conditional use permit in the GB zoning district. Rezoning this lot to General Business maintains the land use patterns along the 321 Bypass and is not considered spot zoning. As well, locating a fire station/emergency services building on this property is consistent with Action Statement 5.C.2 of the 2004 Blowing Rock Comprehensive Plan. This policy states: “(The Town should) relocate the emergency services (Fire and Rescue) from Park Avenue to the Route 321 Bypass to provide faster response times.”

 

Ms. Sweeting asked where the location of the driveway entrance would be. Mr. Rothrock explained the entrance location.

 

Ms. Miller asked if the siren would also be moved from downtown to the bypass. Mr. Hildebran commented that it would stay downtown.

 

With the Town being the Applicant and no further questions for staff Chairman West opened the floor to the public. With no questions or comments the public hearing was closed.

 

Mr. Yount made a motion to accept rezoning request as submitted, seconded by Mr. Drury. All members were in favor of the motion.

 

CUP #2005-11 Vincent Properties

 

Mr. Rothrock gave the staff report to the board. Jay Vincent of Vincent Properties is requesting a condition use permit to add a connection on the rear of his building to the Rug Gallery building. The connection would allow for access to the rear of the Rug Gallery where Mr. Vincent plans to construct some new real estate offices. The connection between buildings is planned through an existing alley behind the buildings. The subject property is located a 989 Main Street and is zoned CB, Central Business. The building connection is proposed on the outside of the buildings in the rear alley because of the thickness of the walls separating the two buildings in the middle of the buildings. Since the proposed building connection crosses a common property line, the required 5-foot setback cannot be met. Therefore, the applicant needs a waiver of the setback standards to construct the connection as proposed.

 

Other staff recommendations are:

The applicant shall clean the alley between the two buildings to be free of debris.

The applicant shall remove the awning bracket on the south side of the Rug Company building. The area where the awning brackets were connected to the building shall be repaired and repainted.

All of the landscape planters on the rear of the building shall be repaired and re-landscaped.

 

There was some discussion on the alley easement to Wachovia bank drive in window.

 

With no other questions of staff, Chairman West opened the floor to the Applicant.

 

Mr. Jay Vincent, Applicant, commented that he would be glad to answer any questions.

 

Mr. Drury asked about the deck on the building. Mr. Vincent stated that the deck belonged to Carlos Hernandez and was part of his residential property.

 

Mr. Tarleton asked about the awning on the south side and what the preference would be to remove or replace it. Mr. Vincent commented that the last conversation he had with Mr. Hernandez was to remove awning, patch and re-stucco the wall.

 

With no further questions of the Applicant, Chairman West opened the floor to the public and closed with no questions or comments.

 

Mr. Tarleton made a motion to approve the CUP and grant the setback waiver with the condition that the applicant remove or replace the awning and repair the window and window framing.  Mr. Steele seconded the motion. All members were in favor of the motion.

 

Other Business

 

Chairman West commented that the Comprehensive Plan review subcommittee had met this past week. Ms. Sweeting gave a brief summary of the subcommittee discussion.

 

With no further business Mr. Drury made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Yount seconded the motion. All members were in favor of the motion.

 

Adjourn

 

With no further business, the Planning Board adjourned at 7:38 P.M.

 

 

 

 

 

__________________________________                _________________________________

Jim West, Chair                                                         Sherrie Pitts, Administrative Assistant