More than two dozen citizens attended the Demorest City Council meeting Tuesday to voice their concerns about a possible duplex development at the intersection of Demorest/ Mt. Airy Highway and Long Street.
Concerns were raised about the development when a preliminary drawing was submitted to the city in August for the property belonging to Johnny Gunn. The drawing depicted a proposed 14 unit duplex development along with a 14 unit storage facility on that parcel of land that is just a little more than an acre.
Marie Evans addressed the council during the public comments portion of the regular council meeting to discuss the development in question.
No application received
Prior to her comments about the development, Mayor Jerry Harkness explained that the city had not received an application for rezoning for the development. At this point, it is only a rumor with a picture. He told Evans that it was great to hear everyone’s thoughts about the property. However, the development was not before the council at this time.
Evans explained to the council that from her understanding is that the property owner is going to sell the property and a development with duplexes will be placed at that location, which is across the street from her residence. “A lot of us are very much against that particular idea,” she told the council.
Development requirements
City Manager Mark Musselwhite explained that he had met with the developer about the property last week. According to Musselwhite, the developer was unaware that the residents in the area had an issue with the development. He also told the audience that the new land use ordinance would require site plans, architectural drawings, and landscape drawings.
He told the developer that there would be a checklist that he would have to follow that would require the developer to pay for upfront before submitting an application for the development.
“I encouraged him to have a neighborhood meeting,” Musselwhite told the audience. “I encourage people who want to rezone something, go meet with the other side.”
Musselwhite explained that all the city had was a drawing. “No comments, no write-ups about what he is doing,” he told the audience. He further explained that until the city receives a full application, “nothing is happening,”
Evans told the council that the drawing in and of itself was what had residents in the neighborhood concerned. “One thing we are very concerned about is the traffic flow,” she said. Another issue she expressed would be the noise that could come from such a development.
Musselwhite explained that when he got the drawing, he shared it with the council and passed it out to the community so citizens would know what may be coming to the city. He reiterated that there has been no application.
“We don’t want it”
However, once there is an application that follows all of the requirements of the new land use ordinance and the city accepts it, then the city would have to advertise the rezoning. It would be advertised in the paper for at least 15 days. Also, signs would be placed on the property that a rezoning application has been received. The signs would state that a public hearing will be held.
He told the audience that during the scheduled public hearing, the developer would be there to present his application to the council. The council would then hear both sides of the proposal from the developer and the community.
At that time, Musselwhite explained that the council could approve, deny, or place conditions or restrictions on the development.
Evans explained that the group of citizens at the meeting understood that no decision was going to be made during the meeting Tuesday evening about the proposed development. However, they all agreed to attend the meeting. “We want you to see the unified body of this community that’s saying we don’t want it,” she told the council.
