Adjustment made to complex going up on Salisbury Street

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Council approved three rezoning requests on April 4 and tabled another until the May 9 meeting.

The largest development was an amended conditional zoning request at 853 E. Salisbury St., Asheboro. The original request approval in 2023 was for rezoning to allow construction of two apartment buildings on the 5.4 acres just west of the intersection of Salisbury Street and NC 42.

According to Trevor Nuttall, director of Community Development, “The addition of (a) significant parking area north of the proposed building location is viewed as a modification requiring re-review by Council. The application states that this change is necessitated by an NCDOT drainage and utility easement along the frontage of the property. One less apartment unit is proposed with this application.”

One of the buildings is set to have 22 units and the other would have 24. The three-story buildings would have one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The plan is to have a recreation area with a tot lot/play area, child play area and covered picnic area. It also calls for three more parking spaces than city code requires.

The NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT), on seeing the site plan, said in response, “The development entrance may need to shift approximately 100 feet to the east due to sight distance considerations” and “left and right turning lanes should be anticipated due to traffic volumes and to promote safety.”

The applicant for the rezoning is Solstice Partners, LLC, of Cary, with Tammy Stern representing the firm at the council meeting. Asked if the apartments, upon completion of construction, would be sold, Stern said Solstice would continue to own and manage the apartments. She estimated monthly rental rates at between $600-$800, up to $1,000.

During a public hearing on the matter, Vivian Hughes of Spring Street, which is west of the site, asked about the lines coming from the power station on Spring Street. She was assured that the power lines would be 120 feet from the nearest parking spaces. She also asked if there would be access from the apartments to Spring Street and was told that there would not be.

The council members then approved the development unanimously.

Brian Lucas sought rezoning for another residential development at East Central Avenue and Willow Road. The one acre of undeveloped land, under the current zoning, could support five dwellings, or two duplexes and one single-family home. By changing the zoning from R10 to R7.5, the applicant could build three duplexes on the site.

According to the plan, there would be two driveways on Willow Road and one on Central Avenue.

Again, the council voted unanimously to approve the request.

A third rezoning request was by Gary Morris, who asked for rezoning of .31 acres to allow for a vehicle storage facility on Clover Street near Plummer Street. Morris said he wants to tow wrecked vehicles to the site for storage until they can be taken to a repair shop.

The council was unanimous in approving his request.

Another rezoning request, which was tabled for a month, was for the property at 801 and 817 Sunset Ave., site of the former Church of Christ at the corner of Cherry Street.

The rezoning would allow for a residential development for multiple family dwellings for the elderly. The applicant, KRP Investments, asked the council to continue the request to the May 9 meeting “to allow more time to adequately prepare our site plan and design to meet the existing neighborhood as well as the Sunset Drive corridor aesthetics.”

The council approved the continuance.

To begin the meeting, Mayor David Smith gave the following recognitions:

•Retiring Master Police Officer Paul Maness, for his 32 years in law enforcement, 27 with the Asheboro Police Department. “Thanks for your faith in me … for the opportunity to serve. It’s a bittersweet moment leaving,” he said.

•Amy Rudisill, vice president of the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce, who is leaving after a total of 29 years to become the public information officer for Randolph County, was presented with the Asheboro Pride Award. “I appreciate my many years of work for the Chamber,” she said. “Thank you very much.”

•The City of Asheboro’s Award of Excellence in Downtown Revitalization for Best Adaptive Reuse for the Church Street Lofts. The award was given by the NC Main Street Conference and presented to Mayor Smith by Addie Corder, executive director of Downtown Asheboro Inc. (DAI).

•The NC Main Street Conference’s Downtown Champion Award was presented by Corder to John Ogburn, city manager. Ogburn said, “It’s a team effort.”

•Recognition of April 18 as National Lineman Appreciation Day with approval by the council of a resolution presented by Smith, who said, “We’d be in a world of trouble without linemen.”

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At the close of the meeting, Smith reminded the council of the following dates:

•A special meeting of the City Council on Friday, April 12, at 1 p.m. at the Asheboro Recreation Center on North Street. UNC School of Government Adjunct Professor Rebecca Jackson will lead a discussion on Defining Strategic Priorities.

•A special meeting of the council on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers for a budget workshop for the Water and Sewer Fund.

•A special meeting on Saturday, May 4, at 11 a.m. for the grand opening of the Zoo City Sportsplex.

•The regular City Council meeting on Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers.

•A special meeting on Thursday, May 16, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers for a budget workshop for the General Fund.

•The regular City Council meeting on Thursday, June 6 at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers.

•A special meeting on Thursday, June 27, at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers for the final meeting for budget adoption and year-end budget amendments.

Downtown Farmers’ Market

The normal hours of operation for the Downtown Farmers’ Market are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday each week during the months of May-October. The market also typically holds “pre-market” days on the final two Saturdays of April each year. 

This year that translates to the official opening of the 2024 season being Saturday, May 4, with pre-market days of Saturday, April 20, and 27. However, if the availability of certain seasonal agricultural goods, namely strawberries, comes in earlier than expected, the market will forego the pre-market days and begin normal full-time operations on Saturday, April 20.