By Liz Moomey
liz.moomey@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — The city’s Technical Review Committee met Thursday to discuss zoning cases before they are presented to the Planning Board, which the new cancer center at the hospital and allowing electronic message centers.

Teresa Barringer, the city’s zoning administrator, presented a rezoning case for land where the proposed Wallace Cancer Center will be built. She also continued talks about electronic message centers along the Interstate 85 corridor.

For the Wallace Cancer Center, on the corner of Mahaley Avenue and Old Mocksville Road, to be constructed in 2019, representatives of Novant Health are asking that the land be zoned “hospital services.” One parcel is zoned as general residential while three others are already zoned for the hospital.

Planning Board member John Schaffer asked how parking would be affected by the construction because the site currently is a parking lot.

Matt Stiene, vice president of engineering at Novant Health, said parking is a top priority for the hospital.

“That’s a real near-and-dear-to-our-heart conversation, so we’ve really worked hard to try to maximize the parking as much as possible because we know, from a health care perspective, people can park in a certain slot. It’s just significantly more convenient for them than to try to navigate a parking deck,” Stiene said.

The committee agreed the rezoning case is ready to be brought to the next Planning Board meeting.

The committee also continued talks about electronic message centers, or electronic billboards, particularly on I-85. The signs fall under the “community and institution” classification.

“We recently went to City Council with a CI conversion for community and institutional, which allowed electronic message centers along those said districts abutting major thoroughfares and boulevards,” Barringer said. “Now, one thing that has come to our attention and been requested from at least one applicant so far and potentially more in the future is that specific language in the code does not address properties that abut the I-85 corridor.”

Jeff Jones of the city engineering department asked about N.C. Department of Transportation rules on electronic message centers. A DOT representative said he would contact the Raleigh office and have information available before the next Planning Board meeting.

City Engineer Wendy Brindle brought the committee up to date on her findings about legislation on electronic bikes and scooters. At a previous city council meeting, members requested information to address the growing use of e-bikes and scooters.

Brindle said Durham passed an ordinance addressing the vehicles. Committee members discussed possibly having zones where bikes and scooters could be used and requiring docking stations. They discussed bringing the matter before the Historic Preservation Committee for review as well as talking to Police Chief Jerry Stokes.

Brindle said the City Council advised her that it wants electronic bikes and scooters to be regulated but not discouraged.

Brindle said she would continue researching and reach out to Durham to how its ordinance is working for the city.