Rezonings for West Balfour Avenue: 64 new apartments, wild game processing plant relocation

ASHEBORO — Jamie Crumley, owner of Harpley’s Meat Packing and Harpley’s Properties, asked the Asheboro city council to consider two requests to rezone or amend zoning on West Balfour Avenue. 

One will allow her to move her game processing facility there from East Dorsett Avenue; the other will convert land into a new 64-unit apartment complex.

The council approved both requests, adding some building conditions during their meeting on July 9.

Deer processing to move

Bobby Crumley, Harpley’s father and a retired attorney, represented the two requests for West Balfour Avenue.

In November, the city council greenlit the construction of a freezer for meat storage, a testing lab and restroom facility on 404 West Balfour Avenue, across the street from Randolph Packing, also owned by Jamie Crumley and her husband.

Since then, Bobby Crumley said they got better rates with their freezer contracts. They decided a better use of the land would be to move their deer processing from East Dorsett Avenue in Asheboro.

The change is big enough to require council review. They would need to amend the zoning to include Manufacturing, Processing, and Assembly-Heavy Land Use. This covers agricultural and food product processing.

The building will be a different shape, but the city will require it keep to the 20,000-square foot footprint of the freezer.

Crumley said they still plan to build the testing lab and employee restroom.

The council approved the amendment and added five more conditions:

■ Only wild game processing and taxidermy on site.

■ It must have stormwater Best Management Practices.

■ A Level D vegetation buffer.

■ No greater footprint than then 20,000 square feet shown.

■ Potential to add cold storage later.

Council members Phil Skeen and Mary Joan Pugh said the buffer between Harpley’s and Amelia Court looked bare in spots. Crumley told them that when they started clearing, they found that neighbors had built a deck and cut trees beyond the property line.

Pugh said it was still Harpley’s responsibility to plug the holes. She recommended they add some evergreens.

Assistant City Manager Trevor Nuttall said measuring the buffer is part of every development. City staff will inspect it before they issue a certificate of occupancy. If it falls short of the zoning requirements, they will require Harpley’s to fill in the vegetation.

Mayor Joseph Trogdon, Jr. said he harbored some concerns with diverging from what he originally voted for as a city council member in November. “Regardless of the law, this is higher intensity,” he said. “This is a dynamic change from what it was.”

He asked Crumley to explain how animals will be dropped off.

Crumley said they don’t expect tractor trailers. Because they only process game for individuals, their product usually arrives in personal vehicles and is carried in via rolling carts.

Council member Kelly Heath asked about their hours. Crumley said they usually operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. during deer season, and most of their customers bring the animals in the evening.

New apartment proposal

Crumley delivered a separate request to rezone nearly 13 acres, across the street at 403 West Balfour Avenue, from L1-Light Industrial to OA6 (CZ)-Office-Apartment Conditional Zoning.

He presented the preliminary design for eight apartment buildings with 64 total units. 

The spot with an old baseball field will be kept as a passive recreational space. He said they will build a small play area in the center of the complex.

Crumley said one of their biggest challenges is Terry Avenue. It runs along the east corner of the property. His plan includes extending the road to connect to West Balfour Avenue and create a second road in and out of the complex.

City Manager Donald Duncan said Terry Avenue is already a substandard street. Therefore, the council could vote to help with the road improvements.

Skeen asked if Balfour will need a turning lane. Community Development Director John Evans said staff talked to NC Department of Transportation, and they did not anticipate needing one.

The land falls along the proposed route of a greenway that could be considered for North Asheboro’s future. Evans said the company agreed to give the city an easement if it builds the greenway.

During the public hearing, neighbor Joe Adelman said Randolph Packing’s incinerator sometimes exudes acrid odors. He worried about the wind blowing the smell east to the new apartments.

Bruce Moffitt said the street needs to be brought up to standard. He asked the council to take no shortcuts on Terry Avenue.

Renee Bryant with Randolph SPCA said their property abuts the land. She told the council she will ask Crumley to include a fence in the event animals ever get loose.

The city council approved the rezoning and an agreement to contribute up to 50 percent on improvements to Terry Avenue, not to cost the city more than $75,000.