GRANITE QUARRY – The Granite Quarry  Board of Aldermen had a packed schedule for its regular meeting on Monday, hosting three, back-to-back public hearings to make changes to the town’s zoning ordinance.

The goal of the public hearing was to address downtown zoning issues, specifically how the light industry designation from the town applied to a number of businesses.

The first public hearing ended with approval of creating a new downtown light industry zoning classification pending attorney review.

The next public hearing and decision rezoned a dozen properties under new classifications, mostly on Salisbury Avenue and Railroad Street.

The following properties were rezoned:

• F&M Bank on Salisbury Avenue, to downtown light industry.
• Brinkley Construction on Lyerly Street, to downtown light industry.
• JBC Properties at two Railroad Street locations to residential low-density.
• McKinney properties on Railroad Street and Salisbury Avenue  to residential low density and downtown light industry.
• Harwood properties on Railroad and Depot Streets to residential low density and highway business.
• R&R2 on Railroad Street to residential low density.
• J.H. Cook and Sons on Salisbury Avenue to downtown light industry.
• GQ Properties on Main Street to downtown light industry.
• Elie Fisher on Salisbury Avenue to downtown light industry.

The final public hearing was to add an overlay to the town’s zoning map to identify the area that falls under the town’s downtown development guidelines.

Town Planner Steve Blount said the final hearing was not necessary for the goals of the other two hearings, but it would be a good change because the regulated area was originally only described when the guidelines were adopted in 2018. The updated map now shows the area covered by the regulations.

Attorney Jay Dees spoke to the board during the public comment period of the first hearing about the changes. He told the board it was a good night for property owners working with planning staff.

“Tonight’s a culmination of three months of that work,” Dees said, adding the town’s planning board had long and healthy discussions about the issue.

Dees outlined how three companies he represents in Granite Quarry, including F&M Bank, had uses ranging from banking to manufacturing and were all zoned under light industry.

Alderman Kim Cress expressed his appreciation for the planning board and staff’s work on the project.