By Emily Ford
eford@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Six more parcels on East Innes Street have been rezoned to allow commercial use.
The Salisbury Planning Board voted unanimously Tuesday to rezone 3.2 acres in the 1900 and 2000 block of East Innes Street from General Residential to Residential Mixed-Use, which allows commercial and institutional buildings.
Other residential properties in the area have been rezoned recently.
Jeff Cline said he’s been trying to have his rental house at 1910 E. Innes St. rezoned to allow commercial use for 20 years.
“The house rattles and shakes when the trucks roar by,” Cline said. “I’ve actually lost windows.”
Cline said he and other property owners would like to sell their homes to businesses, or tear them down and sell the lots together for a larger commercial endeavor.
Property owner Bobbie Jane Cline said it’s not safe to pull out of the driveways along East Innes Street.
“In my opinion, it is not a livable situation,” she said.
The same rezoning request was denied last year because Planning Board members were waiting for the completion of the Eastern Gateway Plan.
The plan, unveiled in September, says Salisbury’s eastern gateway should remain mostly residential, with commercial activity focused at major intersections.
The plan calls for support of new and different development along the northern side of East Innes Street, including office and institutional use, as well as higher density housing.
The six parcels rezoned Tuesday are on the north side of the street.
Planning Board Vice Chairman Bill Wagoner said he expects more rezoning requests in the eastern gateway, and board members need to be aware of differences between parcels on the north and south sides of East Innes Street.
City Planner Preston Mitchell said the board may want to consider other options, such as conditional use permits, on the south side.
The rezoning request goes before Salisbury City Council July 7.
Contact reporter Emily Ford at 704-797-4264.