By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
LANDIS ó A proposal to rezone property at Kimball Road to make room for an apartment complex drew mixed reaction at Monday’s Board of Aldermen meeting.
Rick Register, with Premier Holding Co., which owns the property on the north side of Kimball Road, requested a rezoning of the property from single-family residential to general residential.
Including Register, only three people spoke during the public hearing on the proposed rezoning.
The board approved the change.
James Eudy, who lives across the street from the property, spoke against the rezoning, saying he feared apartments would attract tenants who would not stay long-term, but come and go. He’d prefer the stability that single-family homes would provide, he said.
“I don’t want the riffraff,” he said.
Eudy said in his past experiences with apartment living, “that’s what it’s been.”
Lee Kimball also lives in the area and spoke in favor of the zoning change. She said the area is safe and the apartments would help bring people into Landis.
Answering a question from Alderman Tony Hilton, Police Chief Reggie Faggart said the area is safe. Hilton said there is always a concern with multi-family housing, but that people must have someplace to live.
“We are trying to make it useful so it can be beneficial,” Register said.
The property is located behind Food Lion, which is zoned highway business by China Grove on South Main Street and is bordered on the north by the China Grove city limits. Other zoning in the area includes business district, which includes a branch of the Concord Telephone Company, David Heating & Air Company, Quality Clothing and other small businesses located to the south.
The planning board recommended the change.
Town Administrator Reed Linn said if the builders construct six units, there is no special permit required. However, if they intend to build seven or more units, a conditional-use permit is required before building.
Register tried rezone the same property a year ago to general business, but the request was denied. The board and then-Mayor Mike Mahaley said they wanted the area to remain residential.
The board also approved a rezoning of property at 407 East Taylor St. from single-family residential to general residential. The owner, Premier Holding Co., asked that it also be zoned for multi-family use.
The parcels of property located directly to the east and south are also currently zoned general residential. No one during a public hearing on the matter.
None spoke regarding a requested rezoning of property located in the 600 block of North Chapel Street.
The board voted to rezone the property to general residential, which would match adjoining property designations. The parcel totals .65 acres or 28,614 feet.