Planning Commissioners Tuesday rejected a request to rezone a half-acre piece of property on Daniels Street, just north of the Cameron Village Shopping Center.
The former home of the late N.C. State basketball coach Everett Case sits on the property. The property borders a planned five-story apartment building on Oberlin Road and its current owner wants to protect it from future development.
Under the new Unified Development Ordinance, rezoning the property would ensure that a buffer would be in place as long as the property is used for a single-family home.
If future development occurs and the single-family home is removed, the buffer regulations would no longer apply.
The area surrounding the Cameron Village Shopping Center is experiencing intense development, which had Commissioners concerned about placing limits on the property.
“It’s probably not going to be a single-family house down the road,” said Commissioner Eric Braun, “and I just don’t think given what’s in the [Comprehensive Plan] and the facts on the ground, I don’t see why we should be facilitating this as a single-family use versus future development.”
Commissioner Quince Fleming echoed that sentiment.
“It’s really not in the public interest,” Fleming said.
Lakeview Ridge Development Approved
In other business, Commissioners approved a request to combine an almost 2-acre property on the south side of Lakeview Drive between Argyle Drive and St. Mary’s Street.
Developers originally submitted a rezoning request to increase the residential density allowed on the property, but withdrew the application to come up with a solution that would appease area residents.
The existing house on the property will be demolished and six lots around a cul-de-sac will replace it.
Commissioner Rodney Swink questioned the possibility of saving the existing house. Developers said they plan to reuse as much of the material from the house as possible in the new construction, but are not able to save it from demolition.
Rain gardens will be installed on each lot to capture half of the water runoff from the roofs. The maintenance of these rain gardens prompted discussion, but Commissioners eventually decided to make their maintenance one of the conditions of approval.
Bob and Renee Sandford, whose property borders the recombined property, previously met with developers and agreed that their existing 8-foot hedge will be maintained and for all the setbacks in the new development to be 10 feet. They said they spoke at the hearing to make their concerns part of the official record and legally binding.
Commissioner John Buxton asked for clarification on the matter.
“Is what we’re doing then is we’re trying to protect this hedge, no matter who owns the property?” he said.
The developers and the Sandfords will have to agree upon an easement that outlines the protection of the hedge and what should happen if it is diseased or dies.
Commissioners eventually approved the request with the following conditions:
-The developer will provide a sidewalk on the main road.
-Maintenance of the rain gardens will fall primarily on homeowners.
-There will be a 10-foot setback to any adjacent properties.
-If there is a mutually agreed upon easement for the hedge, it will be added into the conditions.
