THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 5, 1996 TAG: 9603050303
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Some contentious zoning issues have lured near-record numbers of residents to recent City Council meetings, and Monday night was no exception.
About 60 people turned out for the regular meeting Monday, nearly half of them to talk about two proposed zoning changes that were denied by council members after public hearings.
It was the second time in three meetings that nearly as many citizens spent most of the meeting clustered in the hall as in the council chambers, which comfortably seats about 30 people. For most meetings in recent years, the majority of the seats have been empty.
``I'm delighted to see the turnout,'' Mayor H. Rick Gardner said after the 90-minute meeting. ``It shows that people are coming out to see us, and that's good.
``This is the biggest crowd on a continuing basis that I've seen since I've been here.''
Gardner started his second term as mayor in December and has previous service as a council member.
The zoning request that drew the most people and occupied nearly half the meeting was an effort to change a 10-acre plot on the west side of Parsonage Street Extended to allow for mobile homes on the property.
The property owner, Wanda S. Forbes, said she wanted to place a single mobile home on the site so she could live near her parents.
But about 24 neighboring residents had signed a petition opposing the change, saying they feared for the character of the area if a mobile home were allowed.
``If we allow one trailer to come in, other trailers will come in,'' said Parsonage Street resident Martin Williams. ``I would hate very much to see a trailer park come in next door to me.''
The council had rejected a similar request for rezoning in the area last year, which prompted Councilman Lloyd Griffin to propose rejecting Forbes' request as well.
``I think there's merit on both sides of the fence,'' Griffin said. But he added that ``we need to be consistent.''
Joining Griffin in denying the change were council members Anita Hummer, Don Cherry, Myrtle Rivers, Zack Robertson and Dorothy Stallings. A.C. Robinson and Jimi Sutton opposed the motion.
The other zoning proposal would have changed a lot on Simpson Street near Hughes Boulevard from residential to office use. Among the residents opposing that change was former City Councilman W.L. ``Pete'' Hooker.
The council turned down the requested change, largely because the lot did not meet width and depth requirements for the office zoning. by CNB