THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 20, 1996 TAG: 9602200271
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
A citizens' protest petition on Monday successfully prevented the rezoning of a site for a proposed housing development off Oak Stump Road.
The City Council voted 5-3 to change about 66 vacant acres southeast of Northeastern High School to allow for 8,000-square-foot lots. The property, divided into two parcels, currently requires 10,000- and 15,000-square-foot lots.
But the vote fell short of the needed three-fourths of council required under protest petition rules. Neighbors of the tract had gathered signatures to oppose the zoning change and had turned out in force at a public hearing two weeks ago.
Council members Zack Robertson, A.C. Robinson, Lloyd Griffin, Donald Cherry and Dorothy Stallings voted to approve the change. Anita Hummer, Myrtle Rivers and Jimi Sutton supplied the votes necessary to reject the new zoning.
``I'm very much satisfied myself,'' David E. Forbes, one of a dozen neighboring residents attending the meeting, said after the vote. ``I'm pretty happy.''
Residents had argued that the higher density housing of 8,000-square-foot lots would increase what they called congestion on Oak Stump Road, particularly in front of Northeastern High School. They said they would accept 10,000-square-foot lots, which would allow about 192 lots on the property.
But city Planning Director Victor Sharpe recommended that the council approve the zoning change, citing Department of Transportation statistics showing that Oak Stump Road is undertraveled.
During a 20-minute presentation that included overheads and a videotape, Sharpe acknowledged some traffic congestion at the beginning and end of the school day, primarily from cars cutting through the Wal-Mart parking lot across the street.
But Sharpe said the zoning change would not dramatically affect traffic patterns.
``There's not a whole lot of difference,'' Sharpe said. ``We recognize that there's some improvement to be made at Oak Stump Road, whether the property is rezoned or not.''
Residents who had successfully opposed the rezoning said afterward that they were not convinced by Sharpe's presentation. ``It's different when you live there,'' one said.
Also Monday, the council approved a resolution asking the state DOT to consider alternatives to widening Water Street downtown as part of a long-range thoroughfare plan.
Business owners on Water Street, which runs north and south along the Pasquotank River, have said they oppose widening the street because they will lose parking and storefront space.
The council has proposed creating a right-hand turn lane entering the Camden Causeway bridge and limiting drawbridge openings to half-hour intervals during rush hours to fight congestion.
The council will probably act on the full thoroughfare plan this spring and submit its full proposals to the DOT. The state Transportation Board will ultimately have to sign off on a plan. by CNB