By Mark Wineka
mark.wineka@salisburypost.com

GRANITE QUARRY — The Granite Quarry Board of Aldermen held public hearings on 11 different zoning matters Monday night, including a pair of rezoning requests from one of their own, Alderman Mike Brinkley.

In the end, Brinkley won one and lost one.

Brinkley sought a rezoning for property he owns at 114 W. Peeler St. He wanted to rezone the site from residential suburban — the town’s designation for single-family zoning — to multi-family residential.

During a public hearing Monday night held prior to the aldermen’s monthly board meeting, Brinkley said he had about $15,000 already invested in the property in terms of fill, surveying fees and the encasement of a ditch. His intention was to build duplexes on the property and nothing else, he said.

He also noted that the multi-family residential zoning in that area would allow apartments only as a conditional use.

Tim Poole of 734 N. Main St. said he owns property at 130 Oak St., and he warned that traffic would “increase tremendously” if Brinkley’s property were rezoned. He also cautioned that traffic related to a multi-family development might increase safety concerns for children using the nearby park.

Poole told aldermen it would be better to keep the property’s suburban residential zoning.

Before aldermen considered the two zoning cases related to Brinkley, he recused himself from the discussion and vote. He took a seat in the audience.

The Granite Quarry Planning Board had recommended to leave the zoning for 114 W. Peeler St. as suburban residential. After Aldermen Arin Wilhelm and Mary Ponds were assured Brinkley could only build duplexes with a rezoning, they voted for the change Brinkley wanted and it was approved.

But Brinkley lost out on his bid to rezone property on South Cleo Avenue from suburban residential to multi-family residential. Again, the Planning Board had recommended to leave the zoning as it was, and this time aldermen agreed with the planners in a 2-1 vote.

Mayor Pro Tem Jim LaFevers and Ponds voted to keep the existing zoning. Wilhelm voted against that motion.

During the public hearing, Brinkley had told aldermen he only wanted to build duplexes on that Cleo Avenue site. “It will not be multi-family,” he said, adding he planned to build a new house for himself close by.

One of the other Monday night zoning cases involved property the town owns at 316. S. Main St., where it intersects with Rowan Street. Town officials sought a rezoning of the property from suburban residential to multi-family residential on the front portion.

The back end would be rezoned to light-industrial.

Mayor Bill Feather and Town Manager Justin Price said the board could come back later to place a conditional-use overlay on the site to spell out restrictions. The board asked Price to initiate that process.

Meanwhile, the board approved the staff recommendation and changed the zoning to multi-family residential and light-industrial.

The town’s proposal had drawn opposition from several residents, most of whom said that multi-family housing would not fit in with the surrounding neighborhood.

In other planning or zoning requests Monday night, the board:

• Approved the rezoning of 235 Dunn’s Mountain Church Road from central business to highway business.

• Approved the rezoning of 406 and 408 S, Main St. from suburban residential to multi-family residential.

• Approved the rezoning of 724 S. Main St. from multi-family residential and suburban residential to suburban residential only.

• Approved the rezoning of 6330 U.S. Highway 52 from central business to highway business.

• Approved the rezoning of 6350 U.S. Highway 52  to multi-family residential.

• Approved adding a manufactured home overlay to an existing mobile home community at 110 Walker’s Park Circle.

• Approved adding a manufactured home overlay to an existing mobile home community at 612 E. Lyerly St., which becomes Old Stone House Road.

• Approved a text amendment to the town’s Unified Development Ordinance to refer to manufactured home “parks” as “communities” instead.

• Approved a text amendment to the UDO substituting “manufactured home” for “mobile home.”

Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.