Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

How are you? I'm going to call the meeting to order. I need to bang it.

Oh, good work. Meeting is called to order. I am going to call for a motion to adopt the agenda. So moved. Do we have a second? Second. All in favor? I. Okay. Uh agenda is adopted. We do not have any special presentations tonight. And is there anyone in the audience who wishes to make a public comment, a general public comment, not about our new business? No. Yep. Anyone online?

No. Okay. Um, now we need to go to a consent agenda. Do we have a motion to approve the consent agenda which is the consideration of approval of minutes from November 18th? November 18th, 2025. Yes. Motion to approve. Do we have a second? I'll second. All in favor? I

Okay. Agenda of approval agend consent agenda is approved. There is no old business and Shelley is going to start us off with new business. Thank you madam vice chair that. So this is case H 202502R. This is a request to amend the town's zoning map. uh requesting to reszone two properties from neighborhood commercial to a conditional general commercial zoning designation. The site is located at 3350 Highway 49 South. You can see the two parcel ID numbers. I will read them into the record. Um they are 551739324 and parcel 5517390482. Now the existing site is just under 4 acres in size and is developed with two commercial office warehouse uh buildings. The purpose of this reszone request is to establish a designation that would allow outdoor storage associated with the proposed building supply commercial operation on this site. Now, this operation is associated with the property owner's existing business, Foils, uh, which is located at 2283 Highway 49. Now, their existing operation is a recycling scrapyard. The subject site is being reso reszoned to offer a retail operation that will provide opportunity for the purchase of new and recycling steel material uh at this site. There will be no dismantling operations at this proposed site.

So, we'll start with some location information. These are uh this is two aerial photographs of the subject site. Uh the parcel is located east of the town center along Highway 49. Zooming in on the subject site, uh the site consists of two pro uh two parcels that operate as one site. There's shared parking, outdoor storage area or paving, one access into the site. a little more information about the location. So, as you can see in this aerial photograph here, there's uh environmentally there's a nice established buffer. There is a large wooded area. There's uh a floodway, stream, flood plane as well as well as some um wooded area at the north end of the subject site. There is residential use in the area. But again, you can see with the wooded area, flood plane, floodway, there's a real nice buffer between any of the proposed or existing or proposed use adjacent to 49 and the residential district. Looking at existing zoning for the area. Now, all these properties that front highway 49 are zone neighborhood commercial. There is residentially zoned uh properties that surround it. And to further east along Highway 49, we have uh employment center which is our light industrial designation. Looking uh looking at existing and proposed zoning, the existing zoning is neighborhood commercial. Now, this

district is intended for uh low inensity neighborhood uh nonresidential development supporting adjacent residential uses that are typically located at intersections of collector roads. The proposed zoning district of general commercial is a commercial district that typically offers locations for businesses that need uh greater transportation access such in as this case. The uh these properties are located right off Highway 49. So great transportation access. They are typically developed a little more intense uh intensely with auto inensive establishments uh than you would typically see in a neighborhood commercial. Neighborhood commercials like small grocery store, strip center. Again, the intent of the NC is to offer services to the adjacent residential uh areas. This uh the general commercial district is ideally located on or with within proximity to a major or minor thoroughare such as highway 49. So here's a photograph of the subject site again developed with two office warehouse type uh buildings on the site. they have a shared access point, shared parking, uh access to the rear of the property again where they have some outside graveled area. So in our evaluation of this site, uh the first thing we do is assess the site for conformity of town regulations. This site is considered a nonconforming site

as it relates to various aspects of the site such as a lack of infrastructure for the customer parking lot. Uh little landscaping. There's no buffer street yards or building yards. There's no sight lighting or street lighting. Uh currently uh it is not in compliance with the highway 49 corridor plan as well as it relates to uh frontage sidewalks, landscaping, lighting and center median. Um additionally it lacks roadway dedication. So again, first thing we do with all requests is we evaluate it for conformance with uh today's regulations and then work with the property owner and applicants team to try to bring it into compliance where appropriate. So in this case uh we are getting um improvements uh that are in keeping with the highway 449 corridor uh plan. We are getting rightaway dedication. We are getting a multi-use path along the frontage, street lights and center landscape median constructed uh along its front edge, street yard landscaping, paving of the customer parking lot that includes ADA facilities. Uh we did not uh request a building yard that is typically landscaping between the front sidewalk of the front parking lot and the building front. This is an existing site where there's existing sidewalk right up next to the building. So, there was no benefit in having the applicant tear that out, put landscaping, then a new sidewalk that really would constrain the parking lot circulation. Um, they are offering a proposed site in street lighting. Um and they are removing some existing gravel area at

the rear of the development that is adjacent to uh the flood plane. They are going to replant that area. They're also providing required plantings uh buffers in the form of landscaped areas, slats within existing fence where needed and counting some of the existing wooded area along the rear of the property. Here is the site plan for the project. Again, within the 49 corridor, we're getting a 10-ft wide landscape median, uh, right-of-way dedication, a multi-use path, street trees, street lights, lands, what we call street yard, landscaping adjacent to Highway 49, buffers, and uh, a paved commercial uh, customer lot parking. and they these sidewalks are existing. Uh they are proposing to also uh remove some of the gravel lot in the rear and replant this area with sap blades. Uh again this request uh was generated from the need of their outdoor storage in the rear which would be behind the primary buildings. So, a little bit about the outdoor stores. They are requesting this area in order to put in some of these outdoor racks for their steel material. Uh they are conditioned and required to ensure that uh any outdoor storage is not visible from the public right away. So with all conditional zoning requests,

we're required to review or the board is required to review the uh decision criteria which is provided in your staff report on page 78 and a portion of nine. Uh it reviews section 145303 and 14501. It's staff's opinion as conditioned that the proposal is in compliance with the criteria outlined in the UDO. It's also a reasonable request because it's repurposing a commercial site within an existing economic corridor while bringing the site into compliance with current development regulations. Additionally, it's consistent with the goals of the Harrisburg area land use plan as it relates to goals in transportation improvement, quality development within a key gateway location. It's consistent with the future land use map and it also supports economic development. As with all conditional zoning uh requests, they are the applicant is required to host a neighborhood meeting. They held their meeting on April 17th. Uh the minutes are found within the packet, but there were no attendees. We were here, the applicants, we were here for about a half hour waiting to see. There was no one online or no one in person at that meeting. So staff believes all the findings can be made to support this request and recommend that this board recommend approval to the town council as conditioned. And I'll read these conditions into the record. The applicant shall obtain all required federal, state, and local permits

associated with the redevelopment of the site and NC DOT improvements. Local permits include Harrisburg construction documents, Cabaris County building permits, and Cabaris County Health Alliance. Uh, this site is not on city utilities. It has a well and septic system. Development of the site will be consistent with the conditional zoning plan and applicable regulations. The approved uses on this site include office, retail, new and resale, material warehousing and material yard storage, no salvage or scrapyard activity such as dismantling or other processes and recommend or excuse me and recycling collection is permissible at this site. Outdoor storage shall be screened and not visible from the public rideway. All improvements shall be permitted, constructed, and/or installed prior to occupancy. So before I go on and read a motion, we did get an email from the chair who was unable to make it this evening and I wanted to acknowledge his email and answer some of the questions he provided. Uh so he had concerns about plantings and some of the required landscaping in the rideway along the front edge. So the town has been working through the DRC which is our development review committee on this project for just over a year now. Our DRC team includes all the department heads and staff from you know fire, public works, engineering as well as NC DOT. So they have been involved uh from they they have been involved in the review of this project from the very

beginning. They're aware of our conditioning for the landscaping within the ride ofway. Uh some other questions is um he was concerned about uh the street lighting location, the tree planting locations. So, if approved, the next step for the applicant is to submit construction plans and work with Duke um I'm not sure if it's Duke or Union Power, but the electric company on citing the exact location for the street lights and site lighting. Uh with that, that's part of the construction plan requirement. And at that point, we get a detailed landscape plan as well. and we ensure through the process that there are no conflicts between the two. So that will get addressed during the construction plan review. Um he questioned the um I think the building yards which I that was a great catch but uh I did try to explain it's existing sidewalk and we did not want to remove sidewalk for a landscape area next to the building that would impact the circulation and parking in the front yard as well as buffers. we uh a lot of the buffer and landscaping requirements gets vetted out when we have a landscape plan. So these are all very valid questions um and concerns but the details come later with the construction plans and not at this point. So with that I believe we've addressed uh some of his uh or all of his concerns. So uh considered motions for the board. Uh we ask that you receive the report public comment and after deliberations motion to recommend to the town council to approve. Of course you can recommend to

approve with modifications or you would recommend to disapprove the zoning map amendment as conditioned and then you would need to make the required findings one for reasonleness and consistency with the Harrisburg area land use plan. Uh we believe the findings can be made that the map amendment is a reasonable request and the map amendment is consistent with the hallow. So I stand by to answer any questions you may have. I have a question. Sure.

Oh gosh, it's loud. Um I see in the front of the there it's there's going to be a left exit a left turn like you can pull up to the median and turn left into the driveway. Right. So how are people coming up on on the right? I I assume they're doing this because of increased volume of work. They're going to have more storage. So you're going to have more trucks going in and out from the right. So how is that going to impact traffic? I don't see anywhere like a turn lane to go into their into their place to so we don't have backup on 49. That's my concern. I can see four big long trucks, right, trying to get in there. 55 miles an hour. Yes.

Right. Yeah. Right. So, this project has gone through review with NC DOT. They did not believe a right turn lane is warranted. Okay. at this location. Uh right now within in front of their site, it's I call it's a dual turn lane down the middle of 49 in front of their site. So you can go left in, right in,

left out and so forth. Uh the highway corridor plan identified a future restricted just left turn lane, but that starts further down. So there was not that requirement on the applicant, but we did require the landscape median. NC DOT and our engineering department did not feel that this proposed use would warrant a right turn lane. So that was vetted out.

And so what I guess how do they make that determination? Like I said, I mean 55 miles an hour, people are going 60. It does I mean it can get pretty busy through there. What kind of traffic will be going into this business? I'll let the applicant answer some of that because it is again it's been existing businesses that uh office warehouse type businesses. It was an automotive repair before and a how long ago I mean that's

Yeah, just a couple Yeah, it's been it's been a few years. I believe the owners owned it for at least three years. Uh so NC DOT and the town evaluate for traffic impacts based on the size of the building, the proposed use and the uh volume of traffic they intend coming in and out of the site. And then from that point they determine whether they they believe a um traffic impact analysis a is warranted. It did not meet that threshold or even close. So that was not required. than NC do and our traffic uh engineer which is uh um which is our um town engineer Devon um determined whether or not they felt a right turn lane was warranted and that was not it was not believed that it would be warranted based on the proposed use. And then maybe I don't know if we're at this point. So you people can make a left or a right out of there.

Yes. So it's it's set up so they can do a left in or a left out. And so that um proposed uh landscape island. Oh, okay. So, it allows room if someone's coming out. So, sort of like uh you see this long 49 in multiple places where you have people left doing a U-turn or left out as they left it. Sure. That that landscape is not going to like hinder people's oncoming traffic.

Right. Right. No. So again, the details of this landscape meeting will still be vetted out even further during construction plan review. Uh because, as you just mentioned, we'd want to make sure that we don't plant the wrong shrubs or trees in there that might impede any visual uh sight distance trying to utilize that area. But this has been submitted to NC DOT as part of our DRC review that brought it here today.

Okay. And same for making a right. You know, sometimes we were just talking like there's a lot of times where even making a right you it's hard to see traffic like oncoming traffic. So yes. Um, and did you answer um, Bill's question about the landscaping that should be planted at the outdoor storage screening is required plant densities for that and not street yard required densities or is that going to come later?

Well, they're different. So, I think he got the street yards and the buffers different. So the street yards is along the frontage facing the street. The buffers are on the side which are different densities. So they are different and again uh they have to follow code through the landscape plan that's viewed at the um construction document phase. Okay. Any other questions? One more. Yes. So I I see the buffer of um to impede the view of those new that new equipment on the side and from the street

and I know there's a lot of buffer in the back. But is there enough buffer in the back for that residential to not see it when the tree line is you know when the trees are gone? Yes, we will vet that out even further. So what happens is whenever it's proposed that they have to or someone's proposing that they're going to utilize existing tree line or landscaping towards their buffer requirements, they actually have to give us a survey so we can guarantee that the right trees and mix of trees are going to screen that area. Now they have quite a bit of there's a lot there

of tree. Yeah, it's quite a distance, but they we still are going to double check that for the plan doesn't show, but I think the aerial photograph shows pretty well. So, you see the residential area over here. There's all this existing their sites right here. They have I'd say about a third of their site is already wooded, but we're concerned with bringing it down all the way to the front to ensure it's screened. And I think that one parcel kind of east north like the one that has where it's written 500y year flood plane. Yeah, that one looks like it could see it. Well, that's and I think that's that's zoned single family.

This one over here. Yeah, that that is zoned single family residence. Yeah, we'll make sure it has. But um Okay, where is the storage going to be located on the site? If you look at their site plan, they've identified some of the uh existing gravel storage. Let me bring it up here.

It's in It's in the back. It's this cross-hatched area over here.

So, they have rollup doors in the front and the back here and their racks will be back over in this area. So again, when we get their construction plans, they have to show us exactly where the racks are going to be. So we will double check to ensure that although this use over here, right here, may be commercial, they're still required to have a certain amount of screening. And then we want no screening. If I'm traveling down 49, that that's well hidden. Can you go back to the picture of the buildings that the Sure.

Oh goodness. Yeah, cuz you can see like that's where screening is going to be. Yeah. And in between the two buildings, right, it looks like they're they're going to put stuff there. So there's landscaping and slats in the fence. There's an existing. You can see the fence right there as well. But I'm talking between the two exi the two buildings on the parcels on the parcel in question. In between there is where I can see from the street. Now if they put racks in there, I'm going to be able to see them from the street. So it looks like it's back further, right? Yeah, it's back quite a way. Sure of that.

It is to the right. Yeah, it's back there. And and again, we have to get a site plan showing where exact exactly the racks are going. Um they have a couple of things to work around such as they have some septic back there that they have to stay clear of. And is the um you said the median's going to be 10t wide.

Yeah, it shows 11 from face a curb to face a curb. I mean, is it already are the is the lane that turning lane that wide or is it going to impede on like the current two like four lanes that are there. I don't have the exact measurement in front of me of what the existing dual turn lane is, but my assumption is they're filling that lane with the that's why it's 11 ft kind of on face a curb to face a curb.

And again, that's something we will NC do DOT have seen this, but these resoning plans are considered uh sort of a sketch plan or a concept plan. We make sure that can meet setbacks and it meets all the fundamentals. But you don't go into actually engineering until they have a vested project. So the next step for the applicant is to give us the details and they have to get permitting through NCD do D do D do D do D do D do D do D do D do D do DOT for this landscape median. Forgive me if I don't trust NC DOT. Um, and just real quick, Exeicio does vote, right? As a voting member. So, do we have a quorum? You do.

It's four. Is Okay, it's four. Okay. I thought it was five.

Okay. Um, so now we will go on to public comment for this project. If you could state your name and we do ask for address.

Name and address, please. Yep. Lisa Thompson, 100 North Triion, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202. 28202. Yeah, that's right. Good evening. Thank you. Uh members of the planning board, my name is Lisa Thompson. I'm a land use consultant with Warren Ballen. Happy to be here tonight on behalf of Foils Incorporated. I'm happy to receive staff's recommendation of approval. Um uh they did a great job um reviewing the slides, so I'll go as quickly as possible not to repeat anything that was already stated. Subject site again is 3.925 acres. Um there's is there a pointer? You see that?

Oh yeah. So, there's two existing buildings on site um again on Highway 49. Um Foils Incorporated um purchased the property a few years back. They've been in business over a hundred years. They're familyowned. Um they have another site that was mentioned that provides for the manufacturing and recycling of those construction materials and metals. This location will be retail only. Um the change in ordinance a few years back prohibited the continued operation of this type of use. So we are simply trying to bring the project the site back into compliance. As Shelley mentioned, existing zoning is neighborhood commercial. We're seeking general commercial. It is consistent with your adopted land use plan, which is a a good use for a highway type of corridor. Um to the uh top right is a sorry a screenshot of the existing building. Um what I wanted to identify are those class B 10-ft buffers that will go along the sides of the buildings. Um out front you'll have that um proposed um landscape island. we will meet NC DOT requirements. Behind the existing Kraton Myrtles, you'll have that 10-ft multi-use path and then um a smaller radius um curb and gutter section to provide for more safety along the um the frontage of the site. Um benefits of this plan support supports local businesses allows the property owner to use the site as it originally intent intended. There's a clear use of permitted and

prohibited uses um listed on the site plan. We've um prohibited some of the more obnoxious uses that are allowed in the general commercial corridor. Those are your automobile repair, tobacco, vape stores, restaurants with or without accessory drive-throughs, multifamily, any sexually oriented businesses, vehicle sales, and self- storage. So, that is listed in binding on the uh conditional plan. We talked about that multi-use path enhancement out front that um provides for more connectivity and some of your pedestrian goals, walkability um goals that you have for the town. That right ofway dedication, enhanced design along the frontage and then again with conditional zoning, what you see is what you get. um you'll have clear expectations of the development outcome reducing any uncertainty for stakeholders. So with that, I'd be happy to answer any questions.

I have a couple. Mhm. Um so I asked this earlier. What kind of traffic will be coming in to this?

So DOT um bases their traffic studies on peak hour trips. Um, so currently there is an office use with up to maybe three employees on the building on the right. Um, that's a an existing chiropractor office use, chiropractic office use. Um, so the number of trips entering the site for that use um is not even close to what would warrant a traffic study um than general daytime use. So I mean what kind of people slash vehicles are coming would come to purchase things at the retail store? Uh

I mean is it is it people like me or is it like businesses with big if you can just state your if you can state your name. How you doing? I'm I'm Mike Torrance on the thing. But anyway uh you need my address. Okay. 851 Buridge Concord.

Okay. Um, so, so we sell new and used material from our site now. Okay. So, you have to come into the scrapyard to go get material. We sell to the fire department here, which we actually don't police department. We got everybody you can think of from the guy that wants one piece of tubing to somebody that would maybe want a trailer load of plate. Okay. It's rare. We do probably 15 people a day right now. Okay.

Okay. That would be in and out. Tractor trailers, you're looking at one, maybe two a week of material that comes in uh to resell. We sell new and used material. So, that's the idea. The storage racks um and stuff that you're you know, the the traffic part of it. Um I'm not going to I'm not going to lie to you. I care less about that medium. I think it's a but we won't go there. I will agree to whatever I need to because we needed to. So when I purchased the building, the gentleman that owned it was elderly. He had a lease with the people that were there. I did not want to break that lease because I gave him my word I would not. Okay. So therefore, when the lease was up, your zoning had changed. So I was GC and I would have put that material. We cleaned up the site. The site was a mess. It had trucks and trailers and trash and we're a recycling yard, but if you come to my yard, I'd love for you to come to my yard. Um, we do a great job. I'm not just saying that, but we wouldn't be here for 100 years, wouldn't we? I'm fourth. He's fifth generation, and I have two girls that run the business, too. So, we're not planning on going anywhere. But this was an outside option for us to help because people have to pay so much for new material and use. We get a lot of um businesses that go out of business uh with their scrap and we purchase it and then we bring it in, sort it. We do have to sort it and then we put it in the racks and we sell it to people that come in. If you wanted something for your house or your trailer, you want copper, like we get jobs where people finish a a town center, they'll have copper left over, we put it into storage and sell pieces of copper 10 foot long to a guy so he don't have to go buy 250 ft from Lowe's.

So, you're bringing stuff from your scrap Yes. location to here. And what type of vehicle? Uh flatbed or van?

Okay. So, I guess my question is more for the town. Um, I don't know. To me, I feel like it would be a better use um of of money and safety and thinking in the future to have a turning lane versus um a path. I mean, people aren't walk I mean, where are people walking from, right? I mean, is that right? Is there a path? I mean, or versus the median. I mean, I I don't know. I think as a safety concern at 60 miles an hour whether it's

one car or 15 cars or a tractor trailer once to twice every week. I mean 49 is a crucial road and ways you know a a means of transportation for for many people every day. So I don't I don't know. I mean, forgive me for not believing in and trusting NC DOT, but they don't live here. We do, right? But it's also the town's engineering staff where our town engineer is transportation. I've not always agreed with them either.

Yeah. Transportation engineer and they they did vet this project. I mean, we'll be glad to look into it further if you'd like us to. Uh, but typically you don't construct a right turn lane unless it's warranted. You don't put signals in unless it's warranted. So, there are warrants that the transportation professionals look at when requesting improvements. Um the the good news is I will say this the good news is on this is they're dedicating enough rightway that if it does need a right turn lane in the future there's room to put one in. Um

well who would pay for that though?

It would depend on the user. So either the user and C do DOT. So uh I'm saying if it's already done approved without it I mean foil is not going to be foils anymore. So, well, if it's a change in use, we evaluate it. We issue a permit for any change in use. So, if oils were to sell their business to say uh something with a higher demand such as a call center where they operate 24/7, they would need to get a permit from us. We evaluate the transportation impacts so forth. NC do's involved and it may warrant a traffic study or need for a turn lane.

So, can I ask a question? Um, with the new storage units that you want to put back there, sorry, this is Sorry. With the new storage unit that you want to put back there to um store your materials, is that going to do you feel like that's going to increase your customer base or like lessen how many tractor trailers are coming in and out because now you've got some stored there or is it going to increase, you know, how many trucks are coming in and out? You're the goal is always to grow.

Okay. So, you know, I'd be aiss to tell you I don't I don't I really So, we're basing it on our current business and we have we've been in business a long time and people know that we've been doing resell a long time. So, they come into foils. It's a safety thing for me. We we run a fullfledged recycling center and people are coming through the middle of the recycling center to get steel or get a piece of aluminum, get copper.

So, really what we're trying to do is move that unit. That's why I was telling you what um I mean there's a need but how much of that you know is really going to you know u you got NASCAR resell up here you know doing certain type of tubing things like ours is more for smaller base if you will um that's that's what we're targeting it's it's a small building we can't put so much and even the outside storage we're limited on what we can do and I wanted to address I know you had a question about if you look I know you said you can see from you cannot we actually invited them day one when we bought the pro come out and take a a look for it goes down the hill was 20 ft. Okay, great.

So when you go when you come out of my building the tractor trailer I had to make a ramp. It was so steep you couldn't even get up and down. So when you go down from the road and we're going to put a fence per shell in that you can't see up.

So if you were able to sit, you won't be able to see it cuz I'll make sure cuz I understand that. I mean I know I know what you want, you know, visual. I I get that. Um, but quite honestly, uh, you you won't be able to see it even now. Uh, you know what I'm saying? But, but I do understand what you're saying. The amount of trucks I can't imagine. I We made a complete circle. So, you come in, they could pull it off. Say DOT. Um, when you pull in now, we do. So, I grew up I moved out here. I was 9 years old. Um, I actually lived in Harris for a long time. I was nine years old when we got this property out on 49. The gentleman when he was doing this, Jesse Alexander, the gentleman that owned this property, I grew up with them mechanically, learning how to work on trucks and stuff like that. And like you said, Harrisburg wasn't like it is now, four lanes and running through. So, I understand your concern about coming in and out. They did a lot of trucks and stuff like that. That's uh there it'll be more pickups and it might be a guy with a trailer like a pull behind trailer you know I mean like a 10ft 20 foot trailer getting a piece of steel uh then it will be track we don't we don't sell tractor trailer loads we we purchase it from BCO like people like that they bring it in like I said it's on a set schedule it's normally twice a week at the most

and it's the same clientele that's already visiting your other spot you're literally just moving what you're doing up the road to separate it out so we're not adding more people, right? I think the visibility that's further up. It's not that much further up. It makes it makes a difference. Traffic makes I mean it traffic thins out. Um and it's all So my other question is how many like how often will you be bringing material do you

from one place to the other? How often we be bringing the material from one place to the other? I'd like to tell you I know that 100%. I I don't know because right now we bring it in like I said twice a week but what's on the yard that comes in the sh they'll put it on a flatbed and then once we get enough I mean I don't mean it's economically for us it's better to have one load full load come up unload it and not have like all these little loads I don't I don't want my guys spending two hours unloading 200 lb you know what I mean come

no I I think my more concerns is like with the town and NC DOT and the transportation engineers. I mean, that multi-use path versus attorney lane. I guess I just Is it more costly to put a turning lane in? Like, who who's going to use that path? I mean, I know you're thinking maybe you can get other other to get for alternative means than a vehicle to get around. So, as projects go through, we require all developments to either do a sidewalk or a multi-use path and eventually they connect up where the town identifies a project and makes the connection, right? I I I think that there's a lot of existing

I I think that's a not going to happen any anytime soon with everything else that's already existing in there. And to me, a turning lane would be the safer, better option than a multi-use path and or the landscaped median. But that's just that's not on you guys. So would So what we could do is add a condition that the need for a right turn lane be re-evaluated because again we do have transportation.

I am well aware and we can't like ask for something that technically isn't warranted. is that

you can ask but it doesn't mean NC DOT will let it go in so you you can put so NC DOT they maintain the state road and uh that's why we coordinate with them from the very beginning I have another project further up that's proposed in an industrial a couple of large industrial buildings and right from the beginning NC do said they have to do a right turn lane on there and so that's even before we get into the meat of the project. So again, uh we do NC do DOT is part of our DRC team from the very onset of this project through this final plan, a concept plan coming before you. It's been vetted by NC DOT and the town and and again we can add a condition that we further evaluate the need for a right turn lane. Um, but ultimately it's up to NC DOT.

I mean, we're happy to look at that. It just the the improvements have to be proportionate to the the development and, you know, $150,000 right turn lane for an I didn't know if it was more how much more costly it was than what they're they're proposing. Yeah. um what the existing use is that you know someone could go in and put an office or whatever existing use is allowed in your code. Um because we're doing the outdoor storage causes us to go through this reszoning now we're putting in the buffers and the fencing and repaving. So there's a lot of cost already associated with so it just has to be proportionate and something that's saying without makes sense.

Well because even if you do put an internal lane you're still going to have to put curb and guttering and a buffer. So those expenses are going away. you're adding to it just to have a turn lane and we'd still require the multi-use path and because they're they're required of the code to not replacing the code does say they have to do transportation improvements as needed that gets evaluated and it would be a condition of this this project. Happy to look at it but it's it's just comes.

Okay, any more questions? Shelley, can you go back to your um pages that assist us?

Thank you. Thank you. Yes. Thank you. Can you restart me? Thank you. It's clicking a little too quickly. Thank you. So, which slide would you like to be on? This one. Okay. Do we have a motion to recommend to the town council to approve approve with modifications or disapprove of the zoning m amendment?

I move to approve the re the recommendation from staff to send this to town council for approval. That is the appropriate terminology for the motion. Um, are we discussing? Have a second. Discuss. Oh, yeah. Do we want to discuss first everybody? I know I'm on board as well. I'm good with it. Yeah. So, as long as long as I heard that there's a possibility of a turn line if they need it because your business could just grow exponentially and you need a turnlight. So, as long as it's there for future use if they need it, I think well, then we need to approve it with the condition to um want to do that.

But we wouldn't be we would be looking into the future about an exponential growth that would happen 10 years down the road. No, but I mean, as long as you you you've indicated that the land is there in case they need it in the future. That's that's correct. With the dedication, there's opportunity because the land is there. There's opportunity if needed. But I just want to clarify what we were talking about is a change in use. You know, this business could operate there 10, 20 years and just be fine. But if they sell the property and it's a more intense use, then through our permitting process, it's already in our ordinance that we would require TIA and so forth. Okay.

Thank you. Are we good with that? for them and Okay. Will you make that motion again, please? Motion. I move to uh recommend the staff's Jesus Christ, what was I saying? I moved to approve the staff recommendation for this reasonzoning request and that it moved forward to town council. Second. Okay. Okay. Would someone like to make the reasonleness and consistency statement? Can we call for a motion on that motion and then go to the findings? Uh we do we does second.

We had a first and a second. Um everyone approve. I'll approve. I Okay. Now can we have um a statement for reasonleness and consistency with the so just read the last two? Yes. Okay. Um I it has to be it has to be

the map amendment is reasonable is a reasonable request because it provides the for repurposing of a commercial site within an econom economic corridor while bringing the site into compliance with current development regulations and the map amendment is consistent with the supporting land use and economic development goals of the town. Okay. So motion has been approved and the required finding for reasonleness and consistency has been stated. We need a second. We need a motion for that. Second. All approve. I

Okay. Um any staff or up staff updates?

Yes. So So quick update. So um this board like our other boards have town council liaison and they are appointed to the boards uh every January. So we're all familiar with council member Theelin who has been our liaison from the council. So, here tonight we have Council Member Glover who is our alternate and she's here tonight and we'll be uh sitting in on our meetings when uh Council Member Feblin is unavailable. So, I just wanted to introduce her and let you know who our liaison are. Okay. Well, that concludes our meeting. Do I have a motion for adjournment?

Motion to adjurnn. Do I have a second? Second. All in favor I meeting is adjourned. Thank you.