Dollar General request, economic incentive request for Trammell Crow Company on city council agenda

Published 12:08 am Tuesday, April 5, 2022

SALISBURY — City Council on Tuesday will consider a rezoning request for a 10,620-square-foot Dollar General store on the corner of Old Mocksville Road and Seventh Street Extension.

Members will also hold a public hearing for an economic incentive request from Trammell Crow Company to construct a manufacturing and/or distribution center on Henderson Grove Church Road.

Council members have returned to in-person meetings, so members of the public can attend the meeting in-person in the council chambers or virtually beginning at 6 p.m. It will be streamed live at salisburync.gov/webcast and on the city’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. Anyone who wishes to speak during the virtual public comment period must sign up no later than 5 p.m. today by contacting City Clerk Kelly Baker at kbake@salisburync.gov or 704-638-5233. Residents can sign up for in-person public comments until the closure of the public comment period.

In February, the Salisbury Planning Board unanimously reversed a decision it made earlier in the month to OK zoning changes for the proposed Dollar General, citing safety concerns from residents and inconsistencies with the city’s Vision 2020 plans for development and growth. The second meeting was held because a faulty Zoom link at the first meeting might have prevented public input. Additionally, some residents opposed to the development say they weren’t notified of the original meeting.

In addition to the regularly sold home essentials, the Dollar General would be a “fresh” concept store offering fresh produce and expanded coolers. To accommodate the plans, Terramore Development, LLC, is requesting a rezone from neighborhood mixed use to corridor mixed use with a conditional district overlay.

The request was removed from the council’s March 1 meeting agenda.

Also in February, Trammell Crow Company talked to Salisbury’s Planning Board about the rezoning and annexation of two parcels off Henderson Grove Church Road to build a 504,000 square-foot facility and lease it for distribution and/or manufacturing purposes. Parcels include 407-014, 407-015 and 407-115. Council approved the annexation of those parcels, totaling around 96 acres, at the March 15 meeting.

The company anticipates investing at least $35 million in new construction for the project, with an estimated cost of $400,000 for water and sewer extensions. The company qualifies for a level 1 grant incentive to help offset the costs. A level 1 grant is for investments totaling at least $5 million with 75% of new real property taxes paid to the city over a five-year period. For this project, that would amount to a tax incentive grant valued at $944,475 with the city receiving $1.6 million in net revenue over a 10-year period.

However, the company is asking for a grant incentive that differs from the city’s existing policy. Trammell Crow Company is instead requesting a tax incentive grant valued at $680,022 with 90% of new real property taxes paid to the city over a three-year period. That would amount to a net revenue of $1.8 million for the city over a 10-year period.

Also on the agenda:

• Later in the meeting, council members will formally vote on the proposed downtown social district from Downtown Salisbury Inc. The map discussed at the March 15 meeting shows the district would be bounded by the intersection block of Jackson and Innes streets, Fisher and Church streets, across Horah to Lee Street and from Fisher to Cemetery Street. If approved, it would be effective May 1.

A related agenda item is amending the city code for hours of operation for Bell Tower Green Park as part of the social district. Formal hours for November to February are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For the months of March, April, September and October, hours would be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. From May to August, hours would be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

At the March 15 meeting, DSI modified the operating hours for the district from noon to midnight Sunday through Saturday, with drinking hours beginning at Bell Tower Green Park at 5 p.m. Council members ultimately agreed to delay that start time by an hour in warmer months so that families can enjoy an extra hour of sunlight without drinking taking place.

• Council will consider reinstating phase 6 of the The Gables of Kepley Farms for 10 single-family lots that were originally part of the master plan approved in 2005.

• Council will hold a public hearing for the use of 2022-23 federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME program funds, which total $465,000.

• Council will consider adopting an ordinance amendment to rezone one parcel located at 201 Lumber St. from light industrial to light industrial with a conditional district overlay.

• Council will consider appropriating to the 2021-22 budget $207,082 for the General Capital Reserve Fund and $15,738 for the Water Sewer Capital Reserve Fund for computer replacement equipment.

• Council will consider approving a municipal agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation in the amount of $845,000 for design and construction of a sidewalk on Jake Alexander Boulevard from Brenner Avenue north to the existing sidewalk at the railroad crossing. Of that total amount, $676,032 comes from a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant, with the city on the hook for $169,008 for the local match. The match will be budgeted in the 2022-23 fiscal year budget and subsequent budgets as well.

• Council will consider requests for Downtown Revitalization Incentive Grants to assist with building rehabilitation and residential production.

• Council will consider authorizing Interim City Manager Brian Hiatt to execute a contract with SEPI, Inc., for no more than $94,500 for engineering services related to a Pavement Condition Survey. Funds for the survey are included in the 2021-22 budget.

• Council will also consider allowing Hiatt to approve utility construction agreements with NCDOT for reimbursement by Salisbury-Rowan Utilities on the project to widen Julian Road as well as replacing the bridge on Hurley School Road. For the Julian Road project, the project costs $452,783 for adjusting, relocating and improving public water and sanitary sewer utilities. For the bridge project, the cost is $127,074 for adjustments, relocation and improvements.

• Council will consider authorizing Hiatt to enter into a unit price contract with Asphalt Concepts for an estimated amount of $199,239 for installation of stamped crosswalks along Innes Street between Depot and Jackson streets and on South Long Street at Monroe Street.

• Council will consider a request for voluntary annexation of parcel 450-001, located on Harrison Road. Members will also consider a voluntary annexation request for 064-212, located at 275 Cross Drive.

• Council will consider adopting an ordinance to amend Section 13-338 of the city’s code regarding prohibited parking at all times for a space on North Park Drive to match updated traffic patterns on South Main Street, per petition from Catawba College.

• Council will consider a right-of-way use permit for the intermittent use of two parking spaces on Main Street for interior renovations to 133 South Main St. until Feb. 25, 2023. Members will also consider a right-of-way encroachment for Conterra on North Long and East Kerr streets for installation of directional bored and direct buried duct.

• Council will consider authorizing a right-of-way use permit for a portion of Hogan’s Alley from April 11 to Aug. 29 for the placement of a dumpster for interior renovations at 119 and 121 North Main St.

• Council will consider appointments to various boards and commissions.

• Mayor Karen Alexander will proclaim the month of April as Autism Acceptance Month, National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Fair Housing Month. She will also recognize the Salisbury High School Lady Hornets basketball team for winning the 2A state championship game.

About Natalie Anderson

Natalie Anderson covers the city of Salisbury, politics and more for the Salisbury Post. She joined the staff in January 2020 after graduating from Louisiana State University, where she was editor of The Reveille newspaper. Email her at natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com or call her at 704-797-4246.

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