A proposal to rezone land in southwest Rockingham from business to residential in order to place manufactured homes near existing manufactured housing will be considered tonight by the Rockingham City Council at a public hearing.
The council will hold the hearing during its regular monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 514 Rockingham Road, Rockingham.
Charles Seago submitted a request to rezone about 4.2 acres on the southeast corner of Old Cheraw Highway and Spring Street from Highway Business (B-3) to Residential Mill Village (R-7A). The property is adjacent to Interstate 74.
According to a staff report on the request, the property consists of two tracts: one, the corner tract, includes four duplexes (eight residential units), and the second tract includes a manufactured home park with five manufactured homes. Seago has enough land to add four additional manufactured homes to the park, the report said. However, the park is a nonconforming use in the B-3 zone, and the ordinance doesn’t allow for the expansion of nonconforming uses. So, Seago has initiated the rezoning request in order to make the current use of the property a conforming use, and thereby qualifying for a conditional use permit to expand the manufactured home park.
On June 5 the city’s Planning Board reviewed the matter and unanimously recommend the rezoning.
City staff disagree.
In a report to the council, staff recommends the council deny the rezoning, noting in part, ” … the investment in sewer infrastructure for the area by both the City and the County was intended to encourage commercial and industrial development in the vicinity of the bypass interchange — not manufactured housing.”
Other items on the council’s agenda include:
• Consideration of approval of the North Carolina Statewide Emergency Management Mutual Aid & Assistance Agreement. This agreement is the statewide agreement that covers both the receipt of and providing emergency aid and disaster assistance in the event of an emergency situation.
• Consideration of an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation for improvements to the bridge over Hitchcock Creek. In May, city council entered into an agreement with NCDOT to purchase right-of-way and permanent easement for the bridge replacement at the Steele Street location. The agreement on this agenda is to begin the actual construction process.
• Presentation of a Community Service Award to Sylvia Bullard for her service as a member of the Rockingham Historic Preservation Board.
— Editor John Charles Robbins can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 13, or by email at jrobbins@heartlandpublications.com.
Post a Comment
