Planning & Zoning Commission - Regular Meeting

The meeting will now come to order. Welcome to the April 21, 2026 meeting of the city of Greenville Planning and Zoning Commission. My name is John Collins and I'm the chair of this commission. Kenneth, would you do the invocation, please? Yes. Lord, let us make good decisions tonight. Please keep watch over us the rest of the week. In your name I pray. Amen. Thank you. Uh, Madame Clerk, please call the role. John Collins, present. Zack Woodmany, here. Alan Thomas, Carlos White here, Kimber S here, Thomas Remington here, Clayton Sell here, William Mccur here, Brad Carter here, Toya Jacobs, Anukica Royal, Kenneth Bale

here. We have forum. All right, our next uh matter of business is the approval of the agenda. Uh is there any discussion of the agenda or uh will somebody move to approve it? Motion to approve. Second. All those in favor of the agenda, please say I. And opposed. Nay.

For abstaining. All right. Agenda is approved. Minutes. You have all been presented in advance with the minutes from the March 17, 2026 meeting. and you've had an opportunity to read and review the minutes. Are there any questions or corrections to advance?

I sense that you're ready for a motion. Motion to approve the minute. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor say I. I. I.

Opposed? Nay. or abstensions. Okay, minutes are approved. New business request by Bobette USA Property LLC to reszone 34.45 acres located at the northeastern corner of the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Highway and SUG Parkway from PIU planned unoffensive industry to IU unoffensive industry. Staff presentation by Chris Kelly.

Good evening. So, this property is located in the northeastern quadrant of the city and also this property is in the recognized industrial area for the city of Greenville. Uh, more specifically, this property is located at the northeastern corner of the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Highway and Sugg Parkway. This is an image of the property taken on Sugg Parkway. To your left would be Martin Luther King Jr. Highway. This is an image of the property taken on Martin Luther King Jr. Highway and to your right would be Sug Parkway. Uh staff does not anticipate any change in intensity between the current and proposed zoning. So therefore a traffic uh volume report was not generated for this request. This request is for just under 34.5 acres. The property drains to Canon swampy rules applied would require 10-year detention nitrogen and phosphorus reduction. The property is not located in special flood hazard area and there may be jurisdictional wetlands on the property and there are no jurisdictional um streams and buffers on the property. Under the current zoning of PIU, the property currently accommodates 535,000 square feet of manufacturing space. And under the proposed zoning of IU, staff does not anticipate any increase in inticity on the subject property. Um, and this property is built out. Really, the reasoning is for the reconfiguration of lot lines. The future land use and character map recommends industrial logistics at the northeastern corner of the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Highway and Sug Parkway extending northwest uh to me North Memorial Drive and NC 903 North and staff's opinion the requested zoning is in compliance with the future land use and character map. Therefore, staff recommends approval. I'll be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you. The public hearing is open. The first speaker will have five minutes with each additional speaker having three minutes until 30 minutes has expired. Is there anyone present to speak in favor of this request? Please identify yourself.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I assure you will not take five minutes. My name is Tom Terrell. I'm with the law firm Fox Rothschild. My address, for your record, is 230 North Elm Street in Greensboro. I'm here tonight for Boette uh USA. It's a building that currently already exists. The sole purpose of this resoning is because there are arbitrary setbacks in the existing zoning district that make it inconvenient to build another building on the same tract and this new zoning district just creates and allows smaller projects and that is the sole purpose. Um, I could answer any questions, but I would like to say before I sit down, um, I average about 75 hearings uh, a year. I am in uh, at all times 30 or more jurisdictions doing things like this, not just in North Carolina, but in also surrounding states. It's a rarity when I get to deal with and work with a planning department where somebody answers the telephone and is responsive immediately and consistently. It's been a long time since I have said this to any board and I just wanted to say to Shante and about Shante um I appreciate it. My client has appreciated it. It is a rarity unfortunately but um I can tell you right now planning and economic growth and development go together hand and glove and you have a great person who is doing that. So thank you. Uh but we do ask your support and approval on this reasoning.

Thank you Mr. Ter Terrell. Does anyone have any questions? Nope. Is there anyone else present to speak in favor of the request? Seeing none, is there anyone present to speak in opposition to the request? Seeing none, the public hearing is closed and I will turn it over to board discussion or a motion. We need the language on this one. I'm about to ask up and down the language. We've got it here somewhere. Yep. Third page. Should be page eight. I'm

sure you all have it memorized by now, but I have no discussion. If anyone else doesn't, I I'll go ahead with it. Motion to recommend approval of the proposed amendment to advise it as consistent with the comprehensive plan and to adopt the staff report which addresses plan consistency and other matters. Second. We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. I. Opposed? Nay. All right. The motion passes. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Our next item is a request by Straoud Engineering PA for a preliminary plat entitled Colony Farms located southeast of the intersection of Mills Road and Manor Court. The property is further identified as Pit County tax parcel number 85696. The proposed plat consists of 90 single family lots on 40.05 acres. Staff presentation by Mr. Malcolm Johnson.

Good evening. So, the subject property is located in the south east quadrant of the city. To be more precise, uh you have a GU sub station adjacent to the property. Down the road got Hope Middle School and to the north you have DH Conley. There is no flood hazard on the property. So this property is zone RS for 900 square ft. The only type of housing is allowed is single family. So this plant consists of 40.05 acres and it going to be a total of 90 lots. To be more precise, I kind of turned the plaque so you can have Mills Road to the north similar to like you see on the aerial. The subdivision review board had approved this plaque and recommend approval. Please consider that if the board do denounce this plat, you must state the reason why writing. Any question from the board?

No questions for Mr. Johnson? No. Thank you. All right, the public hearing is oper open. The first speaker will have five minutes with each additional speaker having three minutes until 30 minutes has expired. Is there anyone present to speak in favor of this request? And please state your name for the record, sir. Good afternoon. My name is Richie Brown. I'm here with Straoud Engineering on behalf of the developer and speaking in favor of this development. Um, this plenary plan just sets the the pace for us to move forward with construction plans. To get into more detail on the job, I'll be glad to answer any design questions you may have.

Does anyone have any questions for Mr. Brown? Thank you. Thank you. Is there anyone else present to speak in favor of the request? Is there anyone present to speak in opposition to the request? Seeing none, I will turn it over to the board for discussion or a motion. And here we don't need the long language. That's going to be Allan Mo moves to approve. And uh I was just about to say what he said. I was like, man, that's going to be a busy road. This I was the easy one. Busy road. Um, I second the motion.

All right, we have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. I. And any oppose say nay. The motion passes. Thank you. All right. The next item, it's in here somewhere. It's a long one. Take a drink of water first. Some dramatic balls

maybe. Once again in the middle request by the community and development services department to make various changes to the unified development ordinance or UDO, including but not limited to updating the name of the planning and development services to community and development services and renaming neighborhood meeting to community engagement meeting. Adding and/or amending the following definitions. alcohol beverage control, event center, micro brewery, and micro distillery. Updating and reorganizing the table of uses in the table of permitted vegetable. Reducing parking requirements for recreation indoor skating rinks, pool halls, and the like. And golf course, par three, driving range, miniature golf, and the like. Deleting event center mixed beverage permit as a use in the following zoning districts. M O, MCH, MUI, O R, IU, I, PIU, and PI. clarifying the number of security personnel required for bars, bar 22s, micro breweries if ampl amplified entertainment after 11 p.m. is provided, and updating the standards for shelter for homeless or abused persons, accessory sales, alcohol sales, micro distillery, and sidewalk requirements along existing public streets. staff presentation by Shante Gooby.

That's a lot. That's a mouthful. There's a lot going on.

I don't think that my presentation is going to last that long. Um so there's just um a few things. So we had um the UDO that was adopted in November of last year. Um we added in basically almost a sixmonth um sort of leadup period. So that was March 1st of this year. Most of the items in this are cleanup items, but they weren't items that I would consider a scrivener's error. They were things that I want to put in front of you to let you know what I'm changing, but at the end of the day, they're not substantive. Um, obviously, we have a new name of our department, which is community and development services. Um, one of the changes with uh the vegetation table is we basically just moved some of the plants where they might have been native, it should be non-native or something like that. Again, it's not messing anyone up, but we just wanted it to be correct. So, I am going to go through these five things a little bit more specifically. Um, number one, we are updating the definition of the standards of micro breweries and micro distilleries to essentially have the same standards as a bar and a bar 2022. Um, you've probably heard me talk about alcohol establishments in general. So, what we're trying to do is to have uh those four different uses have the same standards. Number two is just going to be clarifying the number of security personnel with alcohol establishments. Um if amplified entertainment after 11 is provided. That was something that I had a text amendment in front of you. I took to council. We noticed that it sort of said two different things. This is just a cleanup. Number three is to clarify the parking requirements, and I've got an example for you on that. Number four is to treat event centers

with a mixed beverage permit as a bar. So, those that use would only be allowed in the same districts as a bar or other alcohol establishments. And then the last one is clarifying language of when sidewalks are required and then also deacto when they're not required. So the first one, micro distillery. Uh micro distillery is when you actually distill liquor on site, you can stay there and drink on site or you can buy it and take it home with you. It is a little different in that if you have what we traditionally call a bar, they typically don't make the liquor on site. So we have this use. Uh micro brewery is exactly what it sounds like except you're brewing beer on site at the end of the day. Um those will have the same standards as the bar and the bar 2022. So for clarifying the text, what I've done is these next set of steps or next set of items. I'm going to give you the red line text and then I'm going to give you the final draft. So for this one, this had to do with security personnel when alcohol establishments had amplified entertainment. That means through a speaker, through a phone after 11:00 p.m. And if you notice in the table, we broke it out to one for one to 100 was one. And then we said at the bottom, we went to talk about how you still had to have two security guards on site. Well, that doesn't make sense. if I'm only requiring one. So, what we did was we fixed it and now one to 200 requires two security personnel. And then that takes care of the bottom paragraph for you. So, it was just uh it was just making things align. This does

not negatively impact anyone who is already in existence. So, this does not roll back to them. They are fine just the way they are. for the parking requirements. We had two uses that um I think got a little garbled when we were adopting the UDO. So for recreation indoor skating rinks, pool halls, ice skating, um we had in there one space per 200 uh square feet, 10 spaces for waiting, and then one space per two employees. The new is just one space per 400 square feet and then one space for every two employees. The other one is for any kind of golf, mini golf, golf course, you know, your standard golf course. I think these got inverted because it currently says three spaces per T and then 10 spaces for waiting and then also employee spacing. I went back and looked and it's actually one space per three T's. So I think it just got a little confused. So this is the new and then I've got an example. I looked at the ice skating rink on Redbanks Road that has 20,400 square ft. I estimated six employees under the current code. That means they would owe me 102 spaces for the size, 10 for waiting, three for employees. Under the new standards, they would owe me 51 for the actual size and three for employees. I took out the waiting piece. I don't know that we need 10 spaces for people waiting. And then I also took it from the multiplier of 200 square ft to 400 square ft. So I think if you were to imagine the ice skating rink, you would

see how 54 spaces seems far more in line than 115. And then for golf courses, um, and this is mini golf and anything related, um, under the current standards, that means you would do, uh, you would owe me 54 spaces for the TE's, 10 spaces for waiting, and three for employees. So, that would be 67 spaces for a golf course. Under the new standards, you would owe me 12.

And I think that's probably a little closer. Um, you're not always going to be completely full. Uh, some people are going to carpool. You can always give me more parking than what I require. You just can't give me less. Shante, question. So, are those two numbers is that based on precedent? Is there some other cities with this exact same number? This is for the golf course. Yeah. Yeah. This is typical. And this is what we had before. I'll back up so you can see. Uh if you can look in the second box from the bottom, we had three spaces at that same time.

So again, I think that the number got flipped. They got transposed. So it was just a that was it. But I want to bring it to you and let you know there. Yep. Okay. And and again, one of the one of the um overarching ideas with the UDO was to bring down the parking uh standards more in line with what we have and not requiring excessive amount of parking. Like you said, that doesn't mean they can't have more parking because they're competitive business. They can do what they want. That's correct. If they feel like they need 60, you can give me 60. Gotcha.

Um and so again, that's my example. So for event center mixed beverage permit. So if you are an event center is like when you rent a place to maybe have a party or a wedding reception. Um there is a little there is a difference between having an event center um where uh there's no alcohol and then you do have mixed beverages. Beer and wine does not count in this. And what we're doing is in the UDO we treat event centers with a mixed beverage permit as a bar. Okay. So this is the red line and at the end of the day if this text amendment is approved you will see the top box is for events event center with mixed beverage. The bottom is bars. You see that they mirror each other is what I'm trying to show. This one number five is about sidewalks. Um during the UDO we talked a little bit about what is uh what's called sidewalk uh fee in loo. And what that did was is if you were in certain sections of the city, think of the industrial area. You're the last lot to be developed right now. we would require you to put in a sidewalk even though your sidewalk would not connect to anything else realistically. What this does is this says that if you were going to be required to put in that sidewalk, which realistically wasn't going to connect, you could pay a fee in lie of essentially the cost of the sidewalk and that would go into the bucket for city sidewalks and it would be used to put city it would be used to put sidewalks where they're most needed. Okay. However, what this doesn't do is it doesn't allow you to not do sidewalks

um in uh single family developments in multif family multif family developments where there are people. You can't opt out of sidewalks. You have to put those in. But in some of these cases here that's numbered one through six when you're talking about long stretches of highway there aren't really feasibly any sidewalks that's going to connect then you can just pay the fee in lie of and the city will put sidewalks where they're most needed. Um an easy example is if you think about fire tower and Charles Boulevard you have some sidewalks and then you have some places are a little older that never put in the sidewalk. That would be a place where you could use the money to fill the gap to actually fill in sidewalks. That's essentially what this is for. Again, this is the red text and this is the final text of how it will look. Um, in staff's opinion, this request is in compliance with the horizon's plan. Um, specifically, chapter 4, goal 4.1, which is a vibrant and growing economic hub. Support a positive business climate. Continue to market Greenville's excellent business climate where appropriate. Provide flexibility and development regulations to ensure a business climate that encourages growth and expansion, support business growth and retention through strategic public improvements and ensure land regulations align with target industry needs. And I'll be happy to roll back through anything or answer any questions.

Yeah, I got it. Let's let's go back to the sidewall. So, we just go backwards for a second. So, and you used it for an example out there by Bees Barbecue Road where they just was approved to put the stuff over here on the right side. So, you're saying no sidewalks would be they can just pay out of that to um not have the sidewalks. No. If you look at number four, right, this says Stantonburg Road from Bees Barbecue Road west toward Raleigh. So, that would be a place where you could opt out. But if you're on Bees Barbecue Road back toward Greenville, no. Okay. you would install the sidewalk.

Okay. Okay. All right. And also, what prompt this the changes? I'm just curious because when we was going through the UDO was sending emails and stuff like that. Um, what prompt the like far as um reduction in recreational indoor things or something like that? What prompted all of that? Again, I think some of those got a little twisted when we were doing the UDO. Um or or it was like with the golf course and the number of holes. That was something that should we're putting it back to the way it was. Okay.

Um the real thing on those that I partic that that I took out were the 10 spaces per waiting. Um, I think that's a little excessive and probably not necessary, but the other one as far as like the golf course, I'm putting it back to the way it was. Okay. Okay. And the reason why I asked that because like you used the uh this the ice skating rink for an example. Well, when we was growing up with Sports World. Yes. And those part and

and I'm sure whoever came up with this idea for the parking space back then kind of understood what was going on then because it was just a lot of people, a lot of cars. So, I was just wondering how that would affect it and all. That's all. But and and then when it came to um the mini golf cuz remember we had the mini golf. Anybody remember that? Anyway, we had mini golf and stuff. And um just wondering about the parking that's all that that's that's pretty much was it and the bars and the event centers.

So, some event centers don't even open that much. So, I'm just wondering how what would prompt them to have to be to adhere to the standards of a bar considering that they don't even if they have the mixed beverage permit. If they don't have a mixed beverage permit, then they don't get count. They don't have they're not looked at as a bar. Can I ask a question about that? What about little I don't I don't I I don't know. But what about um venues that don't have a mixed permit, but the person reserving the space for a wedding has a permit to serve alcohol, does that then become a bar?

No. If they are doing what's essentially called a one special event, no, that is that is not part of this. This would be an event center that would hold its own liquor license. So whenever they're open and they stay past 11:00, they got to have the security personnel to meet that as well or No, this is just the districts itself. Just just the the commercial districts. I was like, man, that put a lot on them. Just the districts. Okay. And just with the sidewalks, when the when the building if buildings are being built on these places that are exempt and and the money can go away, is the side is the land actually still reserved off for a sidewalk in case development does reach out to there at some point?

No, it's probably still just resides in the ride ofway itself and doesn't that sidewalk easement probably is either in the rightway or doesn't exist. So, it's not going to have any incumbrances on them if they didn't put the sidewalk in. I I have a question. Um I noticed in the um description of the this item, it mentioned updating the standards for shelter for homeless or abused persons. And I apologize, I when I read through the the thing, you know, and skimmed some parts, you know, um I I didn't I missed that. it. Was there anything substantive about that or is that a cleanup?

Not at all. It was just a cleanup. It's actually on page 53 in your packet. Okay. And what we did was it had a minimum uh square footage, but it only called out one zoning district and it should have been two. Okay. Just to clean up. Got it. That's all.

Any other questions for staff? side side item, but the UDO is is there a definition for like THC beverages and stuff like that as a category? The closest that you're probably going to find yourself in is that the tobacco and hemp retail use encapsulates all the various different versions of of marijuana, cratom, delta 8, THC. I mean, it's a list this long of all the various things. I know way too much about it. Uh I've never used any of it. Um but um it it it basically all of those things are now housed under that one use which is tobacco and hemp retail.

Well, THC beverages is commonly served now in um retail restaurants and bars. And matter of fact, alcohol sales is really starting to flatten and that's prevailing because it doesn't have some of the other impact. So, I just didn't know whether since we're doing this UDO, which is our modernization of our plan, that's a modern significant trend that's happening that for bars, restaurants, and others being what I do now. Uh that that that's something I just didn't know whether that was had been addressed to to not limit or inhibit

uh businesses from being able to compete against other communities. I believe it says in our definitions that contain. What I'm saying is I don't know that it differentiates between if it's a liquid if it if it is something that you smoke or take or a pill or a liquid. I think if it has THC in it or any of the other things, it is lumped under uh prohibited tobacco. Okay. So, that be prohibited from restaurants and bars or I am not in the enforcement game. All right, Mr. Attorney,

I'm pretty sure it's not in this city. It may not be written in the code, but sometimes the world advances faster than code. And if we're doing an update to a UDO,

my understanding is it's currently not prohibited, but it's all kind of in flux as you're aware since you're in the business. I mean, Farm Bill Act has essentially been was extended about a year. There's no real cohesive regulations about it. There's a lot of different opinions looking at, right? So, like I think the idea is we're kind of holding off until we get some guidance in regards to how this is all going to kind of shake out. But I know there's currently like gas stations and things like that to do it, how that's defined, how they classify or or um describe the actual chemical compound or how they're doing it. Like sometimes it will state THC, but it's THCA or it's like pre-weight, pre-flour. as she said, my brother's like about the SOG kind of expert for this thing and the cannibid content. Like it's silly at this point. Um I don't think any of us are kind of scientists in regards to how that classification is going. Um as far as the UDO concerns, I don't think we're really specifically calling that out or have really anything that's really um applicable. But I think the idea at least from the city's perspective is once there's kind of some formal guidelines and regulations in regards to that, we're going to have to adjust to it ultimately. So it doesn't make a lot of sense for us to guess and try. Yeah. I actually thought it was illegal because they the sponsors been contacting us about putting it. I'm like, I don't think

Again, it kind of depends on how it's I mean, you know, we could have a not regulated. Back in my criminal defense. Yeah. Back in my criminal defense days, this is a source of a lot of fun arguments that you could I was like, nah, I don't think that's legal. No. Yes, it is. I mean, there's people right now you could go to a store that you can buy something that looks, smells like all seems like it would be illegal, but it's not technically illegal. And it's all pre-weight and the synthetic. Again, I none of us, I think, are in that business. So, we're waiting to get some federal clarity. We need some federal state. I thought it was trying to I thought it was trying to set me up.

I think there's a governor and just with the board's edification, I I think there's a governor task force right now exploring exactly how they're going to do that. I think they've talked about potentially the ABC board maybe taking over and then we're waiting for the federal stuff. So, they're changing the classifications guidelines. That's the rational. All good. Whatever. All right. Nice long lawyer answer. Uh if you guys were curious, this requires that language along motion. Okay. Are there any other questions for staff?

Uh the public hearing is now open. Uh the first speaker will have see what is the language on that. Uh the first speaker will have five minutes with each additional speaker having three minutes until 30 minutes has expired. Is there anyone present to speak in favor of the request? Is there anyone present to speak in opposition to the request? The public hearing is now closed. I'll turn it to over to the board for further discussion or a motion. Motion. Motion to recommend approval of the appro proposed amendment to advise that is consistent with the comprehensive plan and to adopt a staff report which addresses addresses plan consistency and other matters.

I'll second. We have a motion. We have a second. There's no further discussion. We'll have a vote. Uh all those in favor, please say I. I. Oppose say nay. The motion passes. And our next item is adjournment. Is there a motion to adjurnn? Motion to adjurnn. I heard a motion. Is there second? We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. And oppose say nay. All right. See you guys next month. All right.