Arlington Square Apartments get OK for major expansion

ASHEBORO — Arlington Square Apartments has been approved for expansion to more than double its current size. The Asheboro City Council gave final approval during a rezoning hearing on March 7.

The apartment complex at 1901 N. Fayetteville St., Asheboro, is owned by the Lyn Van Lurette Trust, LLC, of Kitty Hawk. The original development of 120 apartments within 15 two-story buildings was opened in 1999.

The request asked for rezoning to allow high-density residential conditional zoning for multiple-family dwellings with a floor area ratio of up to 22 percent. The owner’s plan will add 180 units to be contained within 15 three-story buildings on 15.79 acres.

The new apartments will be at the rear of the existing dwellings, with access through that property, and abuts North Asheboro Park. Developers propose to run a 6-foot walking trail to the park and possibly to a future greenway that’s on the city’s radar.

The site plan includes two recreational picnic areas and one pavilion.

In other business, the council:

•Discussed upcoming talks to finalize a lease agreement with the Asheboro ZooKeepers for use of McCrary Park.

Jonathan Sermon, Cultural and Recreation Services director, asked the council for guidance on what they wanted in the lease agreement. It was noted that the ZooKeepers, members of the Coastal Plain League of summer collegiate baseball, also puts on the American Legion regional tournament each year. Including the CPL schedule and the AL tournament, the ZooKeepers use the ballpark from May until October.

The city has spent millions of dollars upgrading McCrary Park during the past couple of years, and council members had come to believe the city should be getting back revenues for the use of the facility. 

Mayor Pro Tem Walker Moffitt suggested that the American Legion and Asheboro High School teams should also have some sort of memorandum of agreement for their use of the field.

As for the lease agreement talks with the ZooKeepers, Walker said, “I suggest we pick a number — say $20,000 — to see what they can stand. We need a starting point.”

Council member Joey Trogdon added, “We need to spell out what they can and can’t do.”

John Ogburn, city manager, said the ballfield is in use nearly every day from May 15-Aug. 15. That’s not to mention fall ball from Labor Day through October. 

“We need guidance to sit down with (the ZooKeeper owners),” Ogburn said. “Then we’ll come back to you.”

City Attorney Jeff Sugg recommended adding McCrary Park to the city’s sports manual regulations. 

Ogburn said he was OK with that, then asked the full council if the talks with the ZooKeepers should start off with $20,000 per season.

Council member Clark Bell moved to continue the discussion over the lease at the April 4 meeting. At that time, they will have information from talks with the ZooKeeper owners.

The council approved Bell’s motion unanimously.

•Received an update on the NC Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) plan to relocate NC 159 from Zoo Parkway to the Zoo Connector.

Zoo Parkway runs from US 64 Business, or Dixie Drive, to the roundabout at the entrance to the NC Zoo, a length of 4.43 miles. The Zoo Connector is 1.86 miles from the new US 64 to the roundabout. There is no change to the NC 159 designation from the roundabout to US 220-A.

Moffitt and Trevor Nuttall, director of Community Development, had talks with NCDOT officials about the relocation, expressing concerns that downgrading Zoo Parkway from a state highway to secondary route would reduce the roadway’s priority on the state’s maintenance list. 

Nuttall said the NCDOT officials said the relocation would not affect the prioritization of roadways. They told Moffitt and Nuttall that the hope is relocating NC 159 would encourage drivers to use the new US 64 bypass to go to the NC Zoo rather than the curvy two-lane Zoo Parkway.

“We have to ensure that in the future the relocation doesn’t have a negative effect,” Nuttall said.

Moffitt said they also asked the NCDOT officials to put up signs along the new US 64 directing people to the Zoo City Sportsplex, located on Zoo Parkway.

•Were told that the North Carolina Tour de Cure charity cycling event is now calling Asheboro its home.

Katie-Rose Crater, North Carolina director of the American Diabetes Association, said that the Tour de Cure is the signature fund-raiser for the effort to find a cure for diabetes. She said Asheboro has been chosen as the permanent home for the North Carolina Tour de Cure because of its central location and its number of fine restaurants and attractions, including the NC Zoo. 

This year’s Tour de Cure will be held Saturday, May 18, but the approximately 500 cyclists will be encouraged to spend the entire weekend here.

Crater said they are hoping for local sponsors and businesses to become involved as well as volunteers and motorcycle support. “This will be profitable for the community,” she added.

Tour de Cure cyclists can choose their distance, from 15, 25, 63 or 101 miles. The routes will pass through the Birkhead and Caraway mountains.  

More details will be available in the coming weeks. Or, go to https://tour-diabetes.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=523.

•Learned that the Piedmont Triad Regional Council will assist in the search for an assistant city manager for Asheboro, a new position on city staff. 

Matt Reece, assistant director of the PTRC, said that two people, both former assistant city managers, will be helping in the process.

“It’s your search,” Reece told the council members. “We’ll provide technical support.”

He said the search could include listening sessions with various groups whose input will be used to find the person the city wants. 

Asked about a time frame for completing the search, Reece estimated that a decision could be reached by 2025.

Reece also presented the results of a session he had with the council during a Feb. 23 special meeting when he led them through a process for prioritizing capital projects. He said the top projects identified were Trade Street parking, the Trade Street revitalization project and building a third fire station.

•Recognized retiring Police Chief Mark Lineberry, for his 32 years of service with the Asheboro Police Department. 

Mayor David Smith awarded Lineberry a plaque from the city and the new chief, Robbie Brown, gave him his service revolver.

Lineberry responded by saying that the “employees of the city are what makes the Police Department run. The Asheboro Police Department will always keep moving forward.”