2010

Protecting the neighborhood?

Slugline Publication Date Section(s) Page Byline Protecting-the-neighborhood Wilson Daily Times August 03, 2010 Local News

Residents living near Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway are one step closer to protecting their neighborhood from business development. Members of the Washington-Carver Heights Neighborhood Association and the Highway 301 Advisory Committee want the city to rezone properties in a three-block area along Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and Tacoma and Atlantic streets from an intermediate business zone, B4, to an inner-city residential zone, RA-6I. The Wilson Planning Board is recommending Wilson City Council approve the request. James Haney, president of the neighborhood association, said that city planners listened to their concerns and residents have been pleased with their ability to seek the rezoning. The residents have been concerned with business development in the area and how an increasing interest among businesses in locating on the parkway would impact the residential character of the neighborhood. Five of the properties involved in the rezoning are vacant while the rest contain 22 single-family residences and one duplex. The proposed rezoning would reverse a 2003 to rezone this same area from RA-6 residential and MX-1, a mixed-use zone, to the current intermediate business zone because members of the 301 Task Force hoped the rezoning would promote business development along the corridor. The business development hasn't happened. Thirty property owners will be affected by the change and 17 of those residents signed a petition asking for the rezoning. Also during the meeting, the board voted in favor of rezoning .46 acres of property near Spring Arbor of Wilson from a professional office zone, O-4, to an office conditional-use zone, O-3 (CD). The rezoning will allow the assisted living facility to build a 12,000-square-foot expansion to add special care rooms for Alzheimer's residents, an activity area, dining area and several single-apartment units. Properties near Spring Arbor on Ward Boulevard near the Raleigh Road

intersection were rezoned in 2007 and 2008 to allow for the expansion. In other business, the planning board: * Approved a request by the city of Wilson to change 207-209 Douglas St. and 211-213 Green St. from a peripheral central business, B-2, zone to a central business zone, B-1. The change would allow the city the flexibility to redevelop a former Wilson fire station without requiring a certain number of off-street parking spaces. City leaders are interested in converting the building into a fire museum. * Approved a highway development district conditional use permit for .44 acres at 3721 Airport Blvd., between Nash and Bell streets. The property is part of the Home Place restaurant parking lot and is proposed to include a self-service NC Icehouse kiosk. The permit would allow the property to be subdivided to allow the restaurant and NC Icehouse to exist on separate parcels. * Approved a zoning ordinance text change to prohibit massage therapy businesses, Internet cafes, sheet metal shops, tin smith shops, welding shops and tattoo parlors as home occupations. Planning board decisions will be reviewed by the Wilson City Council Aug. 19 for final approval. rochelle@wilsontimes.com | 265-7818