The Wilkesboro Town Council on Monday unanimously rezoned two separate and unrelated residential properties for general business use.
During the council’s regular monthly meeting at town hall, the first approval was for parcel #1500252, a 1.9-acre tract off U.S. 421 in the town’s extra-territorial jurisdiction. The vacant property off South Holiness Church Road was rezoned from R20 (suburban residential) to B2 (general business).
The rezoning request was made by the parcel’s owner, Douglas Ward Eller. Eller was present at the meeting and told the council he has no specific intentions yet for the land.
Councilman Andy Soots made the motion to accept the rezoning, adding, “This property goes along with what we want to do at 421. I think we definitely need to expand the business side of 421.”
The second rezoning affected parcel #2200280, a 2,400-square-foot vacant strip that will be used as a driveway for American Dream Auto, a repair shop at 501 James Street. It was rezoned from R6 (general residential) to B2.
The request was made by the owners of the shop, Emnedin and Lisa Omanovic, who were also present during the public hearing that preceded the vote.
Soots, who recused himself from voting because his business, Andy’s Garden Center, is adjacent to the auto shop, said, “Believe me, it don’t look like it now, but (the rezoned parcel) will look better. He’s already cleaned it up a tremendous amount.”
Mayor Dale Isom expressed concern that the new driveway will compound an already-busy intersection near the Tyson Foods Inc. chicken processing complex.
“It’s a messy situation,” said Isom of the congestion there. “I’m hoping that maybe with this (new driveway), maybe something better can be done with the intersection to help with traffic there.”
Town Manager Ken Noland told Isom that the N.C. Department of Transportation is currently contemplating the installation of a roundabout at the junction of Corporation Street and South Cherry Street.
“You’ve got a lot going on there, particularly with 100-plus semi-trucks coming and going every day at Tyson, going into their site,” noted Noland.
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