HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93011_0992IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF
REGULAR MINUTES
DECEMBER 20, 2005
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on
Tuesday, December 20, 2005, at 7:00 P.M., in the Iredell County Government Center
(Commissioners' Meeting Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC.
Present were:
Sara Haire Tice, Chairman
Vice Chairman Godfrey Williams
Steve Johnson
Marvin Norman
Absent: Ken Robertson
Staff present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, County Attorney Bill Pope,
Deputy County Manager Susan Blumenstein, Planning Supervisor Steve Warren, and
Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Tice.
INVOCATION by Commissioner Johnson.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ADJUSTMENTS OF THE AGENDA: OTIO by Chairman Tice to adjust
the agenda by the following action.
Deletion: • Removal of the Public Hearing listed on the Agenda in Conjunction with a Zoning
Ordinance Amendment for Signs (Section 11.16). (The hearing was held for
public comment and adjourned on December 6, 2005.)
VOTING: Ayes — 4; Nays — 0.
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
Consideration of a Proposed Amendment to the Iredell County Zoning
Ordinance Section 11.16 - Signs Permitted Without a Permit: Planning Supervisor
Warren said this proposed amendment was a "follow-up" from the county attorney in
response to ground signs for a volunteer fire department. He said the staff had studied
the matter and proposed a zoning ordinance text amendment that would classify
volunteer fire departments (VFDs) in the same category as governmental signs. Warren
added that governmental signs did not require a permit. He said these agencies would
also be relieved of the general requirement of a 10' setback from the edge of the right
away for ground signs. Warren said the signs needing to comply with the ordinance
would be general private commercial signage. He said the planning board had denied
passage of the amendment due to the belief that it was unfair to require a private entity
to meet a 10' sign setback and not others. He said there were two purposes for a sign
setback, and these were esthetics and safety. Warren said visibility for the motorist
was also important, and in terms of a governmental agency, location or prominence was
especially important. Warren said it would appear that public safety entities might be
given some special privileges.
Commissioner Johnson said the board had two alternatives: (1) choose not to
accept/approve the amendment, and if this occurred, the staff would be expected to
carry out the ordinance and (2) adopt the ordinance to end the possibility of litigation.
He said the staff had discovered case law that indicated the county might have problems
prevailing in a lawsuit. Johnson asked County Attorney Pope if this was an accurate
summation.