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The regular monthly meeting of the Wallace Town Council on Feb. 8 resulted in the approvals of one annexation and two rezoning requests, with three more rezoning requests set to be discussed at the March 14 meeting.
Public hearings were held on all three of the requests heard at the February meeting.
First up was an annexation request for 33 acres located at 4027 S NC 11 Hwy., property formerly owned by Martha Teachey. StrongRock Engineering Group PLLC requested the annexation. Two nearby residents commented during the public hearing, basically to ensure that their property would not be affected. After the residents were assured that it was not and that annexation must be voluntary, the council unanimously approved the request.
A public hearing was also held to discuss a rezoning request from Kosterman Bros., LLC for 8.71 acres on NC 11, across from a solar farm and just north of the John Deere Dealership. Planning director Rod Fritz stated that the property currently contains a storage facility, which is a non-conforming use for the residential zoning, but it was grandfathered in. Because the property transferred to new owners, a Highway Business zoning was required. There were no public comments on the rezoning, and it was approved unanimously.
A triangular piece of property on Old NC Hwy. 41, behind the McDonald’s and Walgreen’s, was also up for rezoning. Previously zoned R-6MH, Equity Trust Company was requesting that the property be zoned Highway Business. With no comments during the public hearing, the rezoning was approved unanimously.
At next month’s meeting, the council will hold public hearings on the following rezoning requests: .27 acres on East Boney Street from R-8 to HB, the Martha Teachey property rezoning for which annexation was approved Feb.8, and 150 acres on US Hwy. 117 near Willard.
Later in the meeting, the council also unanimously approved a bid for renovations to the Clement Park Community Center, which had been rebid at the December meeting, with the bids due by Jan. 31. Hatcher Builders was the low bidder, with $808,000, well within the $849,000 grant funding the town received for the project.
“That building will be almost completely gutted,” Town Manager Rob Taylor explained. “We’re putting in new windows, new flooring, painting, new HVAC systems, two new bathrooms — male and female bathrooms. You’ll have meeting areas, six meeting areas, where Scouts can meet. Two of the rooms are currently being used as the town gym; those will also be rehabbed.”
Council Member Jason Davis expressed concerns about not using the full $849,000 grant, but Taylor assured him there will be items that come up that will likely take up the entire funding.
In other business at the Feb. 8 meeting, the council:
- Approved a proclamation designating February as Black History Month.
- Heard an update on the Depot Commission from chairman Michael Blackburn.
- Heard from Darlene Leysath, sister of late Mayor Pro Tem Wannetta Carlton, who requested that something be done in her sister’s memory. “My sister’s work has spoken in volumes, and it is my request that there’s some sort of recognition,” she said. “It can be a sign at Town Hall, it be a sign wherever to honor the great work she did.”
- Heard from resident Joanna Whitfield, who asked that something be done about dogs in the neighborhood that killed her daughter’s cat and are known to chase children. She said she had called at least six times about the dogs, but nothing had been done. Mayor Jason Wells stated that he would follow up with her after the meeting.
- Approved a contract with Highfill Infrastructure Engineering, P.C., for design work on a dike at the wastewater treatment plant.
- Decided to invest airport grant funds in a two-year CD, with a rate of 4.1% APY.
- Continued the meeting to Thursday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.
The Beulaville Board of Commissioners approved a contract with Bio-Nomic Services during its regular monthly meeting on Feb. 5.
Ivey McCauley with McDavid Associates requested that the board approve the lowest bidder, which was Bio-Nomic, to perform a sewer system inspection, which will include any of the town’s sewer system that’s over 12 years old.
That will be about 63,000 feet of the town’s total 73,000 feet of piping, Cauley said. Bio-Nomic originally bid $309,750, which includes cleaning, CCTV of the interior of the pipes, and smoke testing. After McDavid suggested including 3,039 additional linear feet, the revised bid totaled $424,967.58. The amount is funded by a grant.
When Mayor Hutch Jones asked what the purpose of the study is, Town Manager Lori Williams responded, “Just the condition of our lines that are underground. Actually, everything on GPS, maps, video of the lines, smoke testing to detect any problems, just a really good inventory of our services.”
Later in the meeting, the board unanimously voted to approve the budget ordinance for the project, recommendation of award, and a resolution awarding the contract to Bio-Nomic.
Also at the Feb. 5 meeting, a public hearing on a zoning non-conforming use request was held.
Williams explained that the request had come from the former Methodist Church. “If you’re familiar with that area, there is currently a modular unit behind the church that is currently used for their fellowship hall,” she said. “They are going to discontinue the use as a church and convert it to residential.”
She added that the owners of the church plan to make some modifications in order to make it more like a residence. “It already has water and sewer, but they’re just asking for that unit to continue as a non-conforming use,” Williams said. “They’re going to renovate the inside to make it a living space. “
After some discussion with Town Attorney Justin Hunter, the board voted unanimously to add stipulations that the modular unit has to have a permanent foundation and be converted to real property.
In other business at the meeting, the commissioners: