Gastonia City Council Meeting – January 21, 2025

The Gastonia City Council met at 6 p.m. on January 21, 2025, in City Council Chambers. The meeting ran long due to a heavy agenda and hazardous snow. The council adopted the agenda and prior minutes, approved two proclamations and the consent agenda, heard committee updates, and made final decisions on several zoning, annexation, transportation, and contract items. Most votes were unanimous; the Industrial Pike Road I-3 rezoning was rejected, and the Southeast Gastonia corridor study contract passed 5–1 after a lengthy debate.

Opening, Agenda, and Minutes

• Invocation was offered by Pastor Rodney Freeman at Councilwoman Jennifer Stepp’s invitation; the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Richard Franks.
• The agenda was adopted unanimously.
• Minutes of the January 6, 2025 special meeting and January 7, 2025 regular meeting were approved unanimously.

Proclamations and Presentation

• National Day of Racial Healing: Councilwoman Littlejohn read the Jan. 21, 2025 proclamation; recipients Sharon Funderburk, Ciera Rozzelle, Lawrence Haney, Waverly Williams, and Pastor Rodney Freeman were honored. Approved unanimously.
• Black History Month: Councilwoman Barber read the February 2025 proclamation; recipients Mammie Freeman, Catherine Black, Destiny Feemster, Johnathan Bryson, and Tony Kee were honored; Tony Kee was present. Approved unanimously.
• Gaston County Celebrates America 250: Angela Cunningham, Gaston County webmaster/social media manager, presented. Gaston County was one of the first North Carolina counties to form a committee, has received $10,000 from the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, has a 40-member committee, and launched gastongov.com/America250Gaston. Educational bookmarks, stickers, brochures, and maps are being distributed; a Feb. 13 museum program on WWII in Gaston County was announced.

Consent Calendar

Approved unanimously without separate discussion:

• I.1: $5,000 CDBG/HUD cold weather shelter agreement with First United Methodist Church.
• I.2: Acceptance for maintenance of portions of Smyre Park Drive.
• I.3: NCDOT Division of Aviation maintenance/safety agreement for Gastonia Municipal Airport (AKH).
• I.4: $151,714 contract with Excel Truck Group for one 2026 Freightliner flatbed work truck for the Electric Division.
• I.5: $30,599 state grant-to-ARP fund transfer with budget amendment 2520050.
• I.6: Gaston County interlocal agreement and 2024 Byrne JAG grant acceptance of $39,247 with budget amendment 2520051.
• I.7: $15,000 NC Amateur Sports Youth Sports Grant revenue recognition with budget amendment 2520052.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tracy Phillips praised Councilwoman Shura Littlejohn’s mentorship of her twins and described a youth prayer walk organized by her son on Feb. 1 at 9:45 a.m., from the courthouse to the Erwin Center, aiming for at least 100 youth.
• Elijah Sturgis, age 14, said Councilwoman Littlejohn visited his Berkeley Street neighborhood and asked what was needed; he requested safety, a basketball goal, and a playground.
• Maurice said Councilwoman Littlejohn had supported him and many residents, including allowing him to use an event venue for free for a Stop the Violence event about six years ago.
• Eric Clay (Mecca Commercial Real Estate), representing a seller under contract with Prestige for the Millwood property on Union Road, said he supported the corridor study but objected to the newly stated 9- to 12-month delay for developments already in the zoning pipeline and asked the council to grandfather them. Mayor Franks said he had not been told of that delay and said the city cannot slow growth.
• Brian Linton (Granite Springs Development), a civil engineer for a project near 6814 Union Road, supported the corridor study but asked that projects submitted for rezoning in October 2024 be permitted to stay on their existing schedule; he warned extended holds could cause projects to be canceled.

Committee Report: Central City Revitalization & Housing / Community Engagement

• A proposed community satisfaction survey with ETC Institute was tabled unanimously because of staffing capacity issues.
• The 2025 Rotary Concert Series, presented by East Gastonia Rotary’s Jenna Jordan, was approved unanimously. Dates moved to late spring/early fall, and there was discussion of holding a concert at the ballpark; Purple Rain is planned for May 29.
• A $10,000 facade grant application for the Standard Hardware Building at 156 S. South St. was reported; it will come to council as a public hearing on Feb. 4, 2025. Staff indicated about $5,000 would remain in the facade grant program if approved.
• A resolution to amend the downtown management services contract with the Gaston Business Association was approved unanimously.
• Facade/architectural grant program guidelines will be revised by staff and brought back to the next committee meeting.
• Steve DeVries of the Gaston Business Association reported strong downtown engagement, including the Envisioning Gastonia project, a newsletter with about 700 subscribers and a 54% open rate, monthly coffee/network gatherings, kiosk updates, and a community resource guide.

Committee Report: Transportation

• Parks and school safety: McAdams presented the final bond-funded plan. The 2022 GO bond set aside $10 million for parks/schools; 137 projects totaling $33 million were identified and prioritized. Staff will pursue quick wins and use the list for future bond proceeds.
• Intersections: Kimley-Horn screened 151 intersections and selected 10 for detailed study; costs ranged from $70,000 to about $5 million, with eight of the ten under $2 million. Councilman Gallagher pressed for a traffic signal at Chapel Grove Road and Wynnwood Road; staff said the roundabout alternative was being considered because of alignment and right-of-way issues, but a signal was not entirely ruled out.
• RAISE grant: Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting the city’s application to the U.S. Department of Transportation 2025 RAISE grant program. Councilman Gallagher said he had arranged meetings with area congressmen and a White House liaison to advocate for the project.
• I-85 betterments: design shifted from brick bridges to a brick facade for maintenance reasons. Transit: one day recorded 736 rides, with a 96% met-demand rate. Airport: continued obstruction clearing, runway light work, wildlife fence work, and closing out the self-serve fueling operation.
• TIA policy amendments: Council unanimously approved changes requiring a Transportation Impact Analysis before rezoning, a mitigation measures agreement tied to the project, and updated thresholds/text changes. The policy applies prospectively; staff identified seven projects currently in the pipeline citywide, six in the Southeast area.
• Southeast Gastonia Area Transportation Study (Union Road corridor): after extended debate about whether to pause or grandfather projects, council approved the contract to Kimley-Horn and Associates, agenda amount $204,600 (the transcript renders this as $204,006), by a 5–1 vote. Staff described a soft pause: site-plan review would continue for projects in the pipeline, but transportation decisions and planning board/city council action would wait for the corridor study. Supporters said the study was needed because 11 developments and about 3,800 housing units were pending in the area; developers asked that projects already submitted be allowed to proceed.

Regular Agenda: Public Hearings and Action Items

• J.1 Tucker Springhaven (continued hearing): The council voted unanimously to continue this ~262.84-acre PD-PRD to PD-RRDD rezoning on Union New Hope Road to Feb. 18, 2025 because the applicant’s attorney was not present. Two residents spoke in opposition/concern about traffic, road safety, development intensity, and environmental impacts; they were asked to return on Feb. 18.
• J.2 Industrial Pike Road: The council heard the continued request to rezone 15.898 acres at Industrial Pike Road from I-2 to I-3 CD. Staff said the asphalt plant use had been removed from the petition; the applicant now proposed storage of reclaimed asphalt pavement and aggregate for an asphalt plant across the street, with new buffers and pile setbacks. Public speakers Parker Sykes (Beverly Knits), Hannes Schauren (TCI Mobility/Yarntex), and Jim Warren (Iconics MetalWorks) opposed the rezoning, citing dust, traffic on a dead-end road, contamination risks to textile manufacturing, inadequate buffers, and failure of the applicant to meaningfully resolve their concerns. The applicant said they had met repeatedly and made many concessions. A motion to close the hearing and approve the rezoning failed 2–4, so the rezoning was not approved.
• J.3 S. New Hope Village: The council heard the appeal of a unanimous Planning Commission approval for rezoning 38.11 acres between S. New Hope Road and Lowell Bethesda Road to PD-RRDD for 93 single-family homes. The applicant’s planner described a coving street design with reduced street length and preserved open space. Bill Radcliffe, Bethesda Oaks HOA president representing 483 residents, opposed the proposed vehicular connection/stub, saying it would create a cut-through between Lowell Bethesda Road and S. New Hope Road; he presented a petition with 150 residents and requested a non-vehicular or emergency-only connection. Council approved the rezoning unanimously with an amendment requiring an emergency-access-only barrier or bollards at the stub.
• J.4/J.5 Fallswood Drive/Lyon Street annexation: Council unanimously approved the voluntary annexation of 23.44 city-owned acres off Davis Park Road and assignment of RS-12 zoning, consistent with the comprehensive plan.
• J.6 Unified Development Ordinance amendment: Council unanimously approved amendments to Section 7.3-1 of the Bulk and Use Chart to clarify use and building lot standards, including removing single-family residential uses from districts inconsistent with them.
• J.7 Culinaire conference center contract waiver: Council unanimously approved a waiver under the Gastonia Conference Center management agreement allowing Culinaire’s new operation within the 25-mile radius while not competing with the conference center’s core business.
• J.8 Committee appointments: Council unanimously approved the 2025 standing committee slate. Changes included Councilwoman Littlejohn joining Central City Revitalization & Housing/Community Engagement and the Arts Committee, Councilwoman Stepp moving to Utilities, Mayor Franks joining Personnel, and Councilwoman Barber chairing Personnel.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted agenda, minutes, proclamations, and consent agenda unanimously.
• Approved the 2025 Rotary Concert Series, GBA management contract amendment, TIA policy amendments, and RAISE grant resolution.
• Approved the Southeast Gastonia corridor study contract by 5–1.
• Continued Tucker Springhaven to Feb. 18, 2025.
• Denied Industrial Pike Road I-3 CD rezoning by failing motion 2–4.
• Approved S. New Hope Village PD-RRDD with emergency-only stub access.
• Approved Fallswood/Lyon Street annexation, UDO amendment, Culinaire waiver, and 2025 committee slate.
• At the end of the meeting, the city manager asked about weather operations; council consensus was to close or make remote city offices the next day for non-essential staff, while essential/utility workers would still report. The council also sent condolences for Salisbury Mayor Karen Alexander and Centralina staff member John Holmes.