Oct. 7 - 13, 2016
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Development ordinance slated for revision Public hearing scheduled Oct. 13 by JESSICA WATERS STOKESDALE – A public hearing will be held on Oct. 13, during the regular Stokesdale Town Council meeting, to allow public comment on proposed revisions to the town’s development ordinance. “Basically, there are three types of changes (to the existing development ordinance) that are being suggested,” said Oliver Bass, the Guilford County planner contracted to assist Stokesdale. “The first changes are those needed to comply with changes in state statutes,” Bass told the Observer. Other changes are those that “streamline the development process or clarify it or make it a little more
consistent,” Bass said. “Those changes relate to the approval process for site plans, subdivisions, special use permits and conditional zoning. The regulations stayed the same – the intent is to make it easier and reduce the wait time.” The third type of changes are regulations that the county planning department recommends as effective regulations. “These are not mandatory, they are just things, usually minor, like fencing and screening requirements, that the county recommends,” Bass said. The upcoming Stokesdale Council meeting will be held Thursday, Oct. 13, at Stokesdale Town Hall, 8325 Angel Pardue Road, beginning at 7 p.m. Council members are expected to vote on the proposed revisions following the conclusion of the public hearing.
Tour des Trees Photo courtesy of Stihl Tour des Trees
One hundred cyclists with a shared passion for trees will arrive in Oak Ridge on Oct. 10, Day 2 of the 2016 Stihl Tour des Trees. The cyclists will stop at the Old Mill of Guilford, 1340 N.C. 68, at 1:15 p.m. More info, visit www.stihltourdestrees.org.
Proposed amendments to the Stokesdale Development Ordinance include: The Planning Board will no longer vote on and issue a recommendation to the Town Council regarding conditional use and special use permit applications. The Town Council will hold a public hearing regarding the application prior to approving or denying the request. Minor site plan revisions for major commercial developments will be approved by the county planning department instead of the town’s Planning Board. Site plans for major new commercial developments or additions to existing major developments will continue to be approved by the Planning Board after being reviewed by the county’s Technical Review Committee for advisory comment. All minor subdivision plats (four homes or less) will be approved by the town planner/planning department. Currently, minor subdivisions consisting of two lots or less are approved by the planning department and minor subdivisions with more than two lots are approved by the Planning Board. Major subdivision plats (five homes or more) will continue to require final approval by the Planning Board, with appeals heard by the Town Council. The application and approval process for zoning map ordinance amendments remains unchanged, with final approval resting with the Town Council. A conflict-of-interest clause stating that council members may not vote on any zoning map amendment “where
the matter being considered is reasonably likely to have direct, substantial and readily identifiable financial impact on the member” is added to the ordinance. A newly added clause to the Residential Design Standards section of the ordinance states, “Attached and detached single-family and two-family dwellings are exempt from the building design elements of this section except with voluntary consent of the owner.” “Building Design Elements” include
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IN THIS ISSUE News in Brief ..............................3 Your Questions ..........................4 Pets & Critters ............................7 For the love of donkeys ............8 Pet Adoptions ...........................9 Youth News..............................10 What’s new in our schools? ...10 Leadership conference ......... 12 Student-Athlete Profiles .......... 13 High School Football .............. 14 Student Artist Gallery ............. 19 Oak Ridge Heritage Day .......20 Community Calendar ............ 21 Crime/Incident Report ...........22 Business Notes ........................23 Bits & Pieces ............................23 Letters/Opinions .....................24 Grins & Gripes .........................25 Classifieds ...............................27 Index of Advertisers ............... 31