HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93010_1019instead of low -lead" due to the possibility of planes using something different in the future.
He said the airplane owners were asked about having fuel available at the park, and 78 were
in favor and 5 were against. Mr. Schroeder said some of the violations had occurred due to
advice from the county.
Anthony "Tony" Mariano said he didn't want to see any future development of the
airpark, but the rezoning request was justified. Mariano said there was fuel at the site
when he purchased his property, and he expected it to be available in the future along with
the maintenance facility. He said it was the responsibility of the commissioners, and the
planning board members, to remind future developers that the vacant properties were in an
airport traffic area.
Howard Cochoran said he supported the zoning change. He said he couldn't
understand the opposition to the request "to move the line a few feet for the purposes of
planting some additional buffers to help alleviate the noise." Cochoran said he also
supported fuel sales and the maintenance facility.
Walter Smith, the President of the Lake Norman Airpark Owners Association, said
that in 1994, an agreement occurred between the residents and Dr. Wilson. He said the
runway and 43 acres were deeded to the Association. In exchange, the Association gave
Dr. Wilson "some certain rights to develop." He said the agreement/contract also stipulated
the owners would support any rezoning efforts by Dr. Wilson.
Donald Sink said he didn't necessarily like everything that happened at the airpark,
but the proposed revisions would help to "correct some rough edges." He said fuel
availability was a necessity.
Rob Porter said he lived adjacent to the area being proposed for the rezoning. He
said he didn't have any complaints about the "tie -down areas" or the fuel sales, but he did
have a problem with the rezoning. Porter said, "The way it is now, I would be very hard
pressed to find a qualified buyer when it's disclosed to them that my property is next door
to an industrial operation." He said that if there was going to be "an industrial strength
operation, there should be an industrial strength buffer." Porter requested for the
commissioners to be careful on the conditional uses.
David Parker, an attorney representing the applicant, said he felt that if given time,
a "consensus" could be built to resolve the issues. He also mentioned the letter sent by
Sheriff Redmond expressing homeland security concerns, and he requested for the hearing
to be continued for about four weeks to build a "consensus."
Jim Slate said the site was a residential airpark and not an airport. He said there
were "tens of millions of dollars in residential homes in the area, and there were a few
million dollars in commercial properties." He said 85% of the traffic was due to the
commercial aspect, and the remaining 15 from residential. Slate said he didn't want the
airpark to expand. He suggested a noise barrier wall similar to what was used on the
interstates to separate Mr. Porter's property from the park. Mr. Slate brought a small
Leyland Cypress to illustrate how ineffective it was to eliminate noise.
Sandy McCurdy, a member of the planning board, said she excused herself from
voting when the rezoning request was presented at the January 8 meeting. McCurdy, a
resident of 460 Normandy Road, said she had owned her property since 1975. She said Dr.
Wilson, in the past, had promised that the airpark would not be commercial and it would be
used for residential purposes. McCurdy said she was not against the fuel sales, but it
needed to occur in a secure area. She said, however, jet fuel should not be sold. McCurdy
voiced concerns about the safety of the children attending schools in the area. She said a
copy of the January Environmental Protection Agency Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) inspection report revealed that runoff was a problem.
OTIO by Commissioner Tice to continue the public hearing for four weeks in
an effort to allow Dr. Wilson and the residents to build a consensus on some of the issues.