Zoning board in training

Rowan County’s new seven-member Zoning Board of Adjustments will do a bit of cramming before it takes on its first case.

The Rowan County Board of Commissioners has served as the board since the county instituted zoning on Feb. 16, 1998.

The Zoning Board of Adjustments acts as a semi-judicial board, rendering opinions on appeals of zoning issues from county planners and other boards. Appeals of the Zoning Board of Adjustments go to Rowan Superior Court.

Planning officials plan to conduct a workshop for the new appointees. An expert from the Institute of Government in Chapel Hill will conduct the orientation session.

Commissioners indicated they are willing to assist as needed. Steve Blount, chairman of the Board of Commissioners, will serve as an ex officio member of the board.

Commissioners considered a list of 21 applicants after an extensive effort to recruit individuals from throughout the county and within municipal boundaries.

The board includes four members from outside municipalities, including extra-territorial jurisdictions:

• J. Max Kent, 550 Waters Road, Salisbury, one year,
• Bruce Miller, 2455 Miller Road, Salisbury, three years.
• Dr. T. L. James, 1545 Earnhart Road, Salisbury, two years.
• Raymond Johnson, 2770 Goodnight Road, Salisbury, three years.

Three of the board members can come from anywhere in the county, including municipal jurisdictions. They are as follows:

• Lois Elliott, 505 W. Ketchie St., China Grove, two years.
• Raymond D. Coltrain, 518 Confederate Ave., Salisbury, one year.
• John “Jack” Owens, 530 Confederate Ave., Salisbury, three years.

Three alternates were appointed to serve in the absence of board members:

• June Showfety, 415 Summit Ave, Salisbury, one year.
• David Collins, 109 Ashton Lane, Salisbury, two years.
• Dennis Isaacson, 2295 Patterson Road, Salisbury, three years.

All will be eligible for reappointment at the end of their terms.

Others nominated but failing to get the necessary three votes included Jim Brady, Kimball Road, China Grove, and Bryant Norman, Dove Lane, Salisbury.

Most cases that come before the board are of minimal consequence to large portions of the county, but they are important to property owners caught in a web of zoning regulations.

Many deal with requests for variances from setback regulations.

For example, one resident who had built a new house discovered that his initial calculations were wrong on front setback.

The mistake was uncovered when the final survey was done for the bank. A variance was essential before a loan could be approved.