HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93009_1670not come under FAA regulations. He has an airstrip and was concerned about safety. Shaver said
he had read an article that stated there were 17,000 towers in the country. It predicted that this number
would increase to 100,000 in the next two years. He mentioned there were eight different companies
licensed to provide wireless eonummication in the county and state. Mr. Shaver said he had recently
entered a lawsuit against Iredell County and the Sprint Company about the proposed tower. He
mentioned that Davidson County recently passed a moratorium on towers. He requested the Iredell
officials do the same.
Jim Cody, a resident of the eastern part ofthe county, said he was a former air traffic controller
with the FAA. Mr. Cody also requested a moratorium. He said that property owners should be
notified when a permit is given for a wireless tower.
Vice Chairman Johnson adjourned the public hearing.
The county attorney was asked if he had any information on moratoriums. Attorney Pope
referred to a past lawsuit involving Vulcan Materials. The courts had stated that when a moratorium
was imposed the same State planning/zoning laws should be followed. Since a legal notice has
already been published, it would probably be permissible to declare a temporary moratorium should
the board desire. Between now and the next meeting, another legal notice could be published advising
that an extension was being considered.
MOTION by Commissioner Stewart to declare a moratorium on wireless communication
towers until the November 4, 1997 meeting, and that the clerk to the board be instructed to advertise
that a public hearing would be held on November 4 for the purpose of considering an extension to the
moratorium until some date that the board determined.
VOTING: Ayes - 4; Nays - 0.
APPOINTMENTS BEFORE THE BOARD
Mrs. Louise Cook presented two petitions to the board. A petition with 56 signatures was
submitted indicating that she and her neighbors were voicing "opposition to any expansion of Polar
Cold Storage, due to the noise level of the facility." This petition also requested that the company and
commissioners make every effort, in a timely manner, to reduce the noise of the existing plant. Cook
said that living near Polar Cold Storage was similar to living "in the middle of a freeway." The other
petition, with 51 names, requested that before more land parcels were "rezoned for industrial use that
a new Noise Pollution Ordinance be enacted, giving special consideration to the neighborhoods
involved." Mrs. Cook said she didn't understand why Polar was permitted to build on a lot that was
zoned M-1 when the zoning code indicated that "cold storage, freezer lockers, ice plants, etc.," were
indicated for M-2 zoning. Further Mrs. Cook said she didn't feel that railroad stations or truck
terminals should be permitted in M-1 areas. Cook then said that two other nuisances in her
neighborhood caused concern. They were: (1) the SafeClaim Recycling Center fire that has not been
cleaned up and (2) a nearby propane company that emits obnoxious odors.
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF REVISIONS TO IREDELL COUNTY NOISE
ORDINANCE: Commissioner Boone said the purpose of this item was Incorrect some problems with
the noise ordinance. Several area ordinances have been studied. Rowan County recently passed an
ordinance that uses decibel readings to determine noise levels. The county manager advised that a
staff person recently purchased a decibel meter and had visited Polar Cold Storage. Mashburn said
that using Rowan County's standards that most of the readings found at Polar were "in line."
MOTION by Commissioner Boone to delete Section 7.5-24 Exempted Activities, in its
entirety, effective immediately, from the Iredell County Noise Ordinance.
VOTING: Ayes - 4; Nays - 0.
REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF PUMPER FIRE TRUCK APPROPRIATION FOR
THE STONY POINT VFD: Roger Starnes, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Stony Point