Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - May 19, 2020
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - May 19, 2020
The Greenville Planning and Zoning Commission met electronically on May 19, 2020 at 6:00 PM due to COVID-19. The meeting covered several rezoning requests, text amendments, and a preliminary subdivision plat. Per state emergency procedures, all public hearing items were recessed to allow a 24-hour written comment period, with final discussion and votes scheduled for May 21, 2020 at 6:00 PM. Three agenda items were continued to the June meeting. Public testimony included strong opposition to the small private schools text amendment.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes from the April 21, 2020 meeting were approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
Item 4 – ECU Rezoning (19 acres to MUI): No opposition testimony. Supporters included Chancellor Ron Mitchelson (ECU), Michelle Clements (East Group), Meryl Flood (former city staff), Bill Bagnell (ECU), and Tim Elliott (Elliott Sidewalk Communities). They emphasized the millennial campus designation, potential for job creation and tax revenue, and compatibility with Horizons 2026.
Item 5 – 320 Enterprises Rezoning (8.2917 acres): Support from George Tollis (MVAH Partners, developer for 72 affordable multifamily units) and John Day (property owner). No opposition.
Item 6 – Barrington Fields Preliminary Plat (40 lots): Support from developer Rocky Russell and engineer Richie Brown. A written opposition comment from James Merkel about drainage was read into the record.
Item 7 – Small Private Schools Text Amendment:
- Support: Amanda Bamberg (attorney) and Rich Ballett (applicant/JP2 Catholic School) argued the amendment provides better standards for lights, noise, and hours than the existing special use permit, and would allow community use of the athletic fields.
- Opposition (11 live speakers and 15 emailed comments): Christopher Edwards (attorney for Planter’s Walk HOA), Joni Torres, Donald Jacobs, Julie Young, Catherine Verbanick, Thomas Huner, John Rice, Dave Caldwell, Thomas Feller, and Melissa Feller. Key concerns: lights and noise intrusion, expanded hours (87.5 hours/week proposed), negative impact on property values, lack of neighbor consultation, and that the amendment would circumvent the existing special use permit. Many speakers showed photographs of light spill and argued the special use permit conditions were not being enforced.
Item 9 – Recreational Hunting Overlay (158 acres): No public comments.
Discussion Items
- Staff presentations covered each item. For the ECU rezoning, staff noted a potential 11,623 trips/day but that mixed use would reduce actual impact. The small private schools amendment sparked extended discussion on proposed operating hours (Mon-Thu 9:30 AM-9:30 PM, Fri-Sat 8 AM-11 PM, Sun 8 AM-7 PM), outdoor amplified sound restrictions, and light measurement methods (0.5 foot-candle increase at property line). The hunting overlay discussion included safety measures (8-foot elevation for rifles, posting requirements, minimum separation from residences) and the fact that the land is in the floodway and owned by GUC.
Key Outcomes
- Items 2, 3, and 10 were continued to the June 16, 2020 meeting without opposition.
- Items 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 were recessed to May 21, 2020 at 6:00 PM to allow 24 hours for written comments, after which the commission will discuss and vote. All motions to recess passed unanimously.
- Procedural motions: Max Ray Joyner was recused from item 4 (ECU) and later reinstated for items 5-9. The meeting itself was recessed until May 21 at 6:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, thank you. You're good. All right, thanks. Mr. Chairman? Yes, ma'am. We are live, ready to go. All right, great. Welcome to the May 19th Planning and Zoning Commission meeting in compliance with the fourth proclamation of emergency COVID 19 section three that was issued by Mayor PJ Connolly on April the 13th. The Planning and Zoning Commission meeting shall be closed to the public but held by electronic means. Members of the public can watch the meeting live on GTV 9 or via the city's website at Greenville NC.gov. Staff has forwarded comments to the commission that were received via email, and speakers that wish to address the commission will be held in queue and will speak in the order they registered with the clerk's office. If any person participating willfully disrupts the meeting, then upon direction by myself, the person may be removed from electronic participation, or his or her email may not be read. To all of us tonight, uh to avoid crosstalk, please announce your name and be recognized by the chair to speak. Each member will be polled individually for their vote by the clerk. The roll call order will be used to record votes. If a member does not vote, then that vote will be recorded as a vote against the meeting. For those who have a listing difficulties, assisted uh excuse me, assistive listing devices are available upon request for meetings held in the city council chambers. Of course, we're not having that tonight, but if an interpreter is needed for hearing impaired citizens, they may call 252-329-4422 voice or 252-329-4060 telecommunications device for the deaf TDD, not later than two business days prior to our regularly scheduled meeting. So with that, we'll call this meeting to order and tell the public that the PNZ Commission is a public body established by the Greenville City Council pursuant to NORCON General Statute. The Commission makes final decisions on preliminary subdivision plats and makes recommendations to the City Council on rezonings, text amendments, ETJ extensions, street closings, street name changes involving honorary designations and comprehensive plan text map amendments. We meet on the third Tuesday of each uh month at 6 p.m. When we have matters that come before the planning and zoning, uh the chair only votes in the event of a tie. There will be a public meeting not to exceed 30 minutes for each side for each item that is considered. The staff will present the information to the commission, and then the applicant will have five minutes to present his or her side of the case. Those that wish to speak in support of the application will have three minutes, but the total time shall not exceed 30 minutes. Once public comments from both sides have been held, then at that time we'll close the public comment for that particular item. However, normally, if you've watched this in the past, we would vote on the matter then and have discussion before voting. However, recent uh General Assembly action required us to go into recess on the item under consideration once public comment has been heard to continue the matter for to the two-day period till Thursday, the 21st of May at 6 p.m. And in the meantime, allow public members to submit additional comments via email that you can do through the website. So in other words, for those of you watching on the website or watching on TV or listening to us through the Zoom application, we will consider all public comments tonight in accordance with the procedures. Once we conclude that, we will recess the item and reconvene in two days. In the meantime, if you have any additional comments in support of the motion or in opposition, please submit those to the planning and zoning commission through the website. We'll reconvene on May 21st. We will then consider those items in the meantime. Then we'll have discussion, if any, and then a formal vote on the commission item. With that in mind, we'll proceed forward. I've call on Brad Guff to do the invocation, please. Bowerheads, please. And thank you for allowing us to participate in this meeting. And we thank you for your guidance and look forward to a time when we can get back together in person and make the decisions this community needs. In your name we pray. Amen. Mr. Guff, thank you very much. Madam Clerk, would you call the role? Les Robinson? Present. Michael Overton. Present.
openpublica.com