By Jessie Burchette
Salisbury PostCornerstone Church on Webb Road easily convinced the Rowan County Planning Board that a takeout/delivery pizza operation is a good fit.
The Planning Board voted unanimously Monday night to recommend rezoning the church property at 315 Webb Road to commercial, business, industrial.
Pastor Bill Godair said the pizza operation will be run out of a 2,000-square-foot section of the new events center. There are no plans for a sit-down eatery.
County Planning Director Ed Muire said the new zoning classification could allow a sit-down facility in the future. Planner Andy Goodall also noted the new zoning would allow some 100 uses.
Jeff Morris, a Salisbury attorney, represented Godair. Gus Andrews, a former county commissioner, was also in the group.
Morris said proceeds from the pizza operation will help fund the church’s ministries.
“I’ve heard of some sneaky ways to get people to come to church,” joked Mac Butner, vice chairman of the planning board.
“Praise the Lord and pass the pepperoni,” said Muire.
Chairman Terry Hill restored a bit of solemnity, observing that the whole area is headed for commercial zoning.
In other matters, the board:
– Voted unanimously in favor of a request by William Webb to rezone 8 acres in the 4300 block of Long Ferry Road to accommodate four storage buildings.
Planners noted that two major subdivisions have been approved in the lake area that prohibit parking of recreational vehicles or storage of boats outside.
Hill predicted that there will be a bigger demand for the larger storage buildings in the future.
– Heard a proposed ordinance to ban sex offenders from county parks and possibly other facilities. The ordinance is expected to be ready for public airing at the Feb. 25 meeting.
Butner said law enforcement and county attorney Jay Dees are reviewing the draft proposal.
– Unanimously re-elected Hill as chairman and Butner as vice chairman for one-year terms.
– Unanimously recommended approval of an assortment of text changes in the county’s zoning ordinances. The changes primarily remove or clean up extraneous material and references to agencies or policies that no longer exist.