Welcome to HickoryRecord.com. Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

HickoryRecord.com - Hickory Daily Record

HomeNewsEntertainmentSportsLifestylesOpinionCommunityWeather Online Tools Jobs | Real Estate | Shopping | Classified

Sherrills Ford rezoning draws protest

Neighbors concerned over business proposal

By Sarah Newell Williamson | Hickory Daily Record

Published: August 18, 2009

NEWTON - More than 35 people showed up at the Catawba County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday night to protest the rezoning of about five acres in Sherrills Ford.

After hearing nearly two dozen of them voice concerns about the property, as well as the person interested in developing the property, the commissioners sided with the residents in a split vote, 3-2.

Willis Spivey owns property at 3502 Mount Pleasant Road in Sherrills Ford, which is zoned for commercial use, as well as property at 3530 Mount Pleasant Road, which is zoned for residential use.

He wanted to join the two properties and build a mini-storage company on the combined 5.52 acres.

The land is at the tip of an inverted V, with Mount Pleasant Road on one side of the property and Dockside Lane on the other side.

Currently, there is a company, Dockside Storage, on one of the properties. Spivey wanted to expand operations, making the mini storage company's new buildings nicer than those currently on the property, with the exterior comprised of stone or stucco, a gate that looked like wrought iron, low-growing evergreen shrubs, no open storage facilities and lighting located away from nearby properties.

Neighbors were concerned about several parts of the proposal.

"It's a good plan that looks good on paper," said John Goodman, who has lived on Dockside Lane most of his life. "But what gets put down doesn't always happen. Excavation at this site has been going on for two years and in the beginning, there wasn't even any fencing. You may decide to go with it, but who's going to stand by to make sure it's done? Because we're going to have to live with it."

The residents also were concerned about the additional traffic to their area. The properties have entrances off Mount Pleasant Road and Dockside Lane. It was proposed that the Dockside Lane entrance be closed, at the residents' request. However, planner Chris Timberlake said he had spoken with the N.C. Department of Transportation and said if they closed any of the entrances, they would likely close the ones on Mount Pleasant Road because it had a higher traffic flow.

Dockside Lane is a road with no outlet. The residents were concerned moving vans and other vehicles that may have missed the turn on Dockside Lane would use their driveways as turnarounds.

Jessica Little asked commissioners what was to stop the development if this was approved.

"If this is approved, what's to say the pasture across the street wouldn't be developed and another wouldn't be developed?" she asked. "There would be the convenience store and the Bi-Lo."

Spivey said he was caught off guard by how upset the community was by his proposal.

"Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would create this kind of turmoil," he said. "What do the residents see that I don't?"

He said he could have put in another type of store without having to get the commissioners' approval for rezoning, since part of the property was already zoned for commercial use, and it wouldn't have caused him the headaches.

"I could put in an Advanced Auto in and it would be a heck of a lot less trouble," Spivey said.

Although he's maintained his current property since 2006, having the lawn mowed every Saturday and picks up the litter along the road himself, Spivey said it was clear the neighborhood wasn't in favor of his proposal.

"If you think I'm doing anything detrimental to the county, I'll go another way," he told the commissioners. "I'm not interested in fighting the neighbors."

Commissioner Glenn Barger said he voted against the rezoning because the community was so upset.

Barbara Beatty also voted against the measure, because she was concerned about the amount of traffic that was already on Mount Pleasant Road, particularly at the Little Mountain Road intersection, and didn't want to add to it.

Dan Hunsucker also voted against it.

Board Chairwoman Kitty Barnes said she was in favor of it, in part because it would be an improvement on what was currently on the property.

Lynn Lail also voted in favor of the measure.