The Highway 32 West corridor was again a subject of discussion at Monday’s county commission meeting. There have been several rezoning requests over the last few months for different tracts in that area. Some have been approved, others have not.
The fate of the most recent request remains unclear – Monday was the first reading – but the recommendation on the table is to deny the request. The tract in question is located at 4079 Highway 32 West. Currently, it’s zoned C, Commercial but the property owners, Heroldany and Maria Artiga, would like to rezone the 2.2 tract to W LI, Warehouse Light Industrial, for the purpose of building utility and dump bed trailers.
According to county code enforcement officer Jason Whiddon, both county staff and the Planning Commission recommend denying the request because manufacturing is inconsistent with the rest of the property in the immediate area.
A small warehouse currently sits on the tract.
The commission did not vote on the request. Commissioners will hold the second reading and conduct a public hearing at the July meeting. Then they will take a vote.
Commissioners also took the following action:
- 2026 local road assistance resurfacing improvements. The county received unexpected funds from the state for road projects, which allows the county to move up some resurfacing projects a year. The county had to bid those projects as well as approve a change order. East Coast Asphalt was the low bidder at $1,539,429.40. The change order was $234,958, bringing the total cost of the projects to $1,774,387.43.
- Approved the hazard mitigation grant program. The county’s current hazard mitigation plan expires in 2029 but the process takes a while to work through. “We are trying to get everything in order to start the process of updating that plan to make sure we meet the deadline,” said county administrator Wesley Vickers.
- Putting six vehicles on govdeals.com for sale – a 2007 Ford Econoline van, a 2020 Dodge Durango, two 2018 Dodge Durangos, a 2019 Ford F-150, and 2018 Ford F-150. All are sheriff’s department vehicles.
The county also heard two more first readings of rezoning requests:
- Eight acres at 1822 MC Jowers Road in Ambrose from AG, Agriculture to RM, Residential Mixed for a future subdivision. Tyler Ware has made this request.
- 71 acres at 786 Mahogany Road from AG, Agriculture to RM, Residential Mixed. This tract used to be a mobile home park but it’s no longer being used as such and has grown up. Bennie Overstreet owns the property and would like to sell it eventually. Before he sells, he would like to rezone the tract.
As with the rezoning request for the property on Highway 32 West, commissioners will hold the second readings, public hearings, then vote on these requests at the July meeting.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Jim Meeks of West Green had two items he would like to discuss with commissioners. First of all, he asked the county to look at cleaning the monument that sits on the courthouse square. It is dirty and he would like to see it cleaned. And two, about a year ago, he had pledged $500 of his own money if the county would authorize signs at the county line. Since those signs had not been put up, he was withdrawing his $500 pledge.
