By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
The Rowan County Board of Commissioners will tackle the proposed land-use plan for the western area of the county during its meeting Monday night.
Commissioners will likely schedule a public hearing for the Nov. 3 meeting after a presentation from Ed Muire, planning director.
Commissioners now have at least four versions of the plan on the table. These include the original plan drafted by the Land Use Steering Committee, which worked for 14 months, the modified and scaled back version recommended by the Rowan County Planning Board, a version proposed by Arnold Chamberlain, chairman of the board of commissioners, and a version suggested by Commissioner Jon Barber.
Chamberlain’s version restores some of the more farm-friendly recommendations from the Steering Committee, while trimming some of the developer-friendly proposals from the Planning Board.
Barber e-mailed his recommendations to commissioners at mid-week. He is supporting virtually all of the recommendations of the Steering Committee.
In other matters, the board will hear information or consider action on the following:- Consider a request from the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission to partner with China Grove in providing sewer to a proposed new industry, dubbed Project Cornmeal, on N.C. 152 adjacent to the Hitachi site.
According to the Economic Development Commission, the industry plans an investment of $2 million and will create a minimum of 15 jobs paying an average of $41,000 per year.
The estimated cost of extending the sewer is $340,000. China Grove will seek a grant to pay 75 percent, with the county and China Grove equally splitting the $85,000 match.
– Hold a public hearing on a conditional use permit for Yorkshire Farms, a conservation subdivision on N.C. 150 between Patterson and Goodnight Roads.
Plantation Ridge Partnership initially proposed 170 lots clustered in a portion of the 197-acre tract with a large area of open space.
After some concerns from commissioners during a Sept. 24 hearing, the board voted to send it back to the Planning Department. The revamped version now has 147 lots.- Consider a request to convey a vacant county-owned lot at 504 Long St. in East Spencer to the town of East Spencer.
– Consider several budget amendments.
The Rowan County Board of Commissioners meets at 7 p.m. Monday in the J. Newton Cohen Administration Building, 130 W. Innes St.