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Home My WebLink About04-28-87April 28, 1987 8219 Minutes of the Joint Public Hearing of the Pulaski Town Council and the Town Planning Commission held April 28, 1987, at 7:00 p.m. at the Pulaski Middle School. There were present: Vice Mayor James R. Neighbors, presiding Councilmembers: John A. Johnston, Robert N. Glenn, Andrew L. Graham, PUBLIC James M. Neblett, W. H. Schrader, Ira 5. Crawford, HEARING Mary Lou Copenhaver REZONING Planning Commission REQUEST Members: Dr. A. W. Anneski, Chairman, William T. Smith, Jr., ~ Roy T. Rives, W. H. (Rocky) Schrader, Ben Tate, Roy D'Ardenne, Michael Barbour, Tamera Nash Also Present: Frank Terwilliger, Town Attorney D E M K T ~~ ,~ i c Bever, own Manager Anne Burgess, Assistant to the Town Manager Grace Bowers, Clerk of Planning Commission Ruth A. Harrell, Clerk of Council Visitors: Dee Lindsey, Bob Thomas and Tracy Wimmer of the News Media Doug Horne, Horne Properties John Lindop, Horne Properties Approximately 200 area citizens The invocation was given by Anne Burgess. Vice Mayor Neighbors advised the purpose of this meeting was to gather public comments on a petition to rezone from Residential R-1 and R-2 to Business B-1 Conditional, thirty acres of land on Memorial Drive and Route 11 in the Town of Pulaski. Vice Mayor Neighbors advised that Mayor Hancock was unable to be here as he planned. He was notified last Friday that he had been selected as one of eight young political leaders across the county to visit Argentina as part of the delegation created by the State Department. Vice Mayor Neighbors gave the guidelines that should be followed during the meeting. Mr. Hiwatha Nicely, President, Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, read a resolution as adopted by the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce which encouraged the elected govern- mental officials to endorse the development of the retail trade and service sector, and to work towards the education and solicitation of our population in meeting the needs of not only today, but for generations to follows. Mr. Rick Pollard, President, Magnox, Inc., advised that their company was experiencing a problem in hiring professional people with the reason being that Pulaski does not offer the type of community services and living environment that they were looking for. He encouraged soliciting retail trade. Mr. John Lindop stated the proposed shopping center sites were chosen by the clients who are interested in the center, and they selected the site on Memorial Drive. The center would have approximately 200,000 sq. ft., have sales of 25 to 30 million dollars per year and create approximatelyL00 to 250 new jobs. He also gave the proffers Chat would be strictly followed.Mr. Pat Kirkland, 40 Camper Ave., presented a petition containin 28.6 additional signatures for a total of 1,250 opposing the shopping center on Memorial Drive. He stated that four rezoning requests had been made previously on Memorial Drive and four requests had been denied, and urged Council to deny this request again. Mr. J. B. Warner, Oakhurst Ave., asked questions of Mr. Horne, in particular regarding the storm drains, desirability of location and traffic. He urged Council not to rezone this area as it would devalue their property. He stated that we did need a shopping center and there were other places that tenants would like to set up. Mr. Jeff Berkley, owner of Berkley Tool, advised he was not Necessarily for :the shopping center specific. location but neither was he there to say he was against it. He further stated we were all faced with an increase in taxes and were faced with increased services in the county with no one to support it but those of us who are already here. We need more business in Pulaski County, as there is inadequate shopping here. He urged Council to base their decision on what is best for the Town and the County. Mrs. Polly Mitchell, Prospect Avenue, stated it had been published that $190 million 8220 April 28, 1987 was leaving our county per year. Based on the population, this means that each person in the County is spending $3,690 annually out of town. It was hard for her to believe thi kind of money was leaving Pulaski County. She did not feel this area should be rezoned. Mr. Colbern Linkous, Dublin, member of Pulaski County Taxpayer's Association, advised he was interested in Pulaski County as a whole. He stated a conditional zoning ordinance can be changed at any Council meeting, and do away with the restrictions .that have been put on the developer. He further stated that Mr. Horne had reported that Parks Belk would move out of town if the shopping center was turned down and this was not corre according to a Parks Belk spokesman. Mrs. Louise Settle, Pleasant Hill Drive, spoke regarding the beauty of Memorial Drive and asked that the rezoning not take place. Rev. C. R. Conner, 1144 Windsor, spoke in opposition of rezoning this area. He stated residents have large .investments in their homes and this was the only beautiful entrance into the Town. He urged Council to listen to the people saying no. He further stated they were considering building a church on Memorial Drive. Mrs. Helen Rogers, 2015 Lee Highway, was opposed to rezoning.. She expressed concern with the drain basins and urged Council to vote no to rezoning. Mr. John Bolen, 2231 Pleasant Hill, opposed rezoning, stating the Town needed clean residential neighborhoods and a shopping center did not fit into a residential area.. There is a possibility that shopping center could be sold to absentee investors who were not bound to a set of conditions. He asked that representatives refuse this change as it is clearly a case of spot zoning. Mrs. Ann Montgomery, 2009 Lee Highway, advised they had been here before for the same reason and urged Memorial Drive not be rezoned. She hoped the bottom line woul e people, not money. Mr. Harry Buckner, 402 Draper Ave., stated he was not against a shopping center, just against it being located in the Memorial Drive Area. He advised that Pulaski needed to draw shoppers from the neighboring areas. Mrs. Barbara Corder, 2060 Pleasant Hill Drive, stated she was not against economic development in Town, but was opposed to the center on Memorial Drive and opposed to the rezoning. She stated residents in this area are victims and will be hurt by the rezoning. Mrs. Patrick O'Dell, 1317 Peppers Ferry Road, advised developers only keep two out of five developments that they build. Also, there is only ten feet available to widen Peppers Ferry Road and the Gravely home on Peppers Ferry road would have to be condemned.. Mr. Nelson Boan questioned where the statistics were coming from and would like to see them checked out. Mrs. Virginia Bethune, Northwood, advised she was not against new industry which would enlarge our tax base, but against the property on Memorial Drive being rezoned to commercial. Mr. Fred Mitchell, Prospect Avenue, asked Council to consider if the center cam in, what would it cost the public, cost of stop signs and if Horne Properties could guarantee the 200-250 new jobs. Ms. Ann Carmody was concerned about the increased traffic the center would attract and also the damage the semi's could cause to the Town streets. She stated if Council could rezone one area, why couldn't they change anywhere in Town. Mr. Horne stated they wanted to make a quick statement which they believed would end the meeting. He stated he could address every issue that had been raised, but they worked in the public interest. Mr. Lindop stated they had stirred up a hornets nest and they did not like that - they wanted people to support them and they were withdrawing their application. Vice Mayor Neighbors stated that we appreciate Horne Properties' interest April 28, 1987 8221 in the Town of Pulaski. We have the same faith in our community as Horne Properties did in trying to put a shopping center here. He stated we also appreciate the concerns of the citizens. Vice Mayor Neighbors expressed the hope that Horne Properties would try to get here sometime in the future. Mr. Horne advised that they would come back. Mr. Ralph Grubb, in addressing the Chairman of the Planning Commission, requested that under the land use and new plan for the annexed area, that the Memorial Drive be rezoned R-1. At 8:15 p.m. public hearing adjourned. APPROVED: Vice Mayor ATTEST ~. Clerk of the Council