By Jessie Burchette

Salisbury Post

A planned cluster subdivision off N.C. 150 in the Atwell Township is apparently going back to the drawing board.

The Rowan County Board of Commissioners voted last week to send the planned 170-lot, single-family subdivision back to the County Planning and Development Department.

Lee Wallace, of Plantation Ridge Partnership, had sought the board's approval to put the 170 homes on approximately 119 acres of the 197-acre tract.

The development, named Yorkshire Farms, would feature homes clustered in one area of the property with more than 70 acres of dedicated open space.

Under the county ordinance, a conditional use permit is required for a cluster subdivision.

During a hearing on March 17, some neighbors raised questions about water quality and potential failure of septic tanks where so many homes are tightly clustered.

Resident Bobby Harrison also raised questions about the proposed "open space," saying he hunted that area for years and it's hard for a rabbit to get through.

Harrison raised issues with the project again Monday night, asking, "What's a cluster subdivision?" He asked for a show of hands from the audience of those who weren't sure of the definition of a cluster subdivision. Several people raised their hands.

Harrison called for the county to better define cluster subdivisions.

Instead of voting to approve or deny the conditional use the permit, the board unanimously approved a motion by Commissioner Jim Sides to send the matter back to the planning department.

In other matters, the board:

- Voted to remove from the agenda a discussion on possibly dropping membership in the Centralina Council of Governments.

- Approved a permit for Relay for Life to exceed the county's noise ordinance for events planned this weekend at the Rowan County Fairgrounds.

- Approved a series of documents to receive $397,000 to assist in the rehabilitation of moderately deteriorated homes which are owned and occupied by low-income residents.

The county plans to rehabilitate approximately nine homes.

The money will come from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency through its Single-Family Rehabilitation Program.

Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates of Lexington is administering the program for the county.

- Approved a request to sell thousands of books and other materials that have been withdrawn from circulation at the Rowan Public Library. The sale will be May 10-12 at the library at 201 W. Fisher St.

- Approved a proclamation declaring May as Confederate History and Heritage Month and taking note of the efforts of the N.C. Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in educating the general public in Confederate history.

- Approved a proclamation declaring May Shield-A-Badge with Prayer Awareness Month, honoring the efforts of the Rev. Michael Taylor, chaplain for the Rowan County Sheriff's Department, to encourage citizen awareness and appreciation for law enforcement.

- Approved a proclamation declaring May 1 as National Day of Prayer in Rowan County.

- Proclaimed May 11-17 as Law Enforcement Week in Rowan County and May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day.

Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254 or jburchette@salisburypost.com.

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