Infrastructure, impact fees to be studied
The City of Blue Ridge placed a moratorium on all projects, with the intent of building over 45 foot, within the Central Business District (CBD) during a special called meeting Tuesday, October 20.
“I’d like to make a motion that due to questions relating to sewer capacity, road infrastructure as well as aesthetics, I’m making a motion that a moratorium be placed on any plans for a building over 45 feet in the CBD district and instructing staff and city attorney to draft an amendment to the CBD zoning category... to lower the height to 45 feet on permanent basis,” Councilwoman Rhonda Haight said.
The moratorium went into effect that day and is in place for 120 days.
Councilman Mike Panter expressed opposition saying there are prospective builders who’d like to build higher than 45 foot.
“It’s not the heighth,” Panter said. “It’s the location. These buildings shouldn’t have been built where they’re being built right now to begin with.”
After learning which area the CBD includes, Panter was in agreement.
Mayor Donna Whitener suggested that council members take a planning and zoning course if they have not done so already.
Haight and Councilman Fitts answered that they have.
Infrastructure and impact fees need to be considered while the moratorium is in place, Haight said.
“I don’t think any of us wanna see the landscape of our downtown happen to what’s just happened, and no one realize,” Fitts said.
There are currently no permits pending, and the motion passed unanimously.
“You’re not gonna believe this,” Panter said about the installation of grass at the downtown playground. “But I’m not ready to go forward yet.”
Panter expressed that two bids for the work were received, but wanted to consider a few more things.
He did say that he would have a decision made by the next meeting Thursday, October 29.
After having spoken with Halsey Recreation, Inc., who completed the playground renovations in 2017, as well as going over contracts, Panter discovered that six to eight inches of mulch was to be placed every six months since the upgrade was completed.
“We should have had six to eight inches of mulch every six months in that playground because mulch denigrates and because of the heighth of the slide ... also we’re supposed to have an annual inspection,” he said.
There has been no new mulch or an inspection since the company finished the job, according to Panter.
Fitts asked why the city hasn’t been maintaining the park to which Panter answered saying, “Well, quite frankly, I’ve been looking at emails back and forth and it looks like no email from the company was sent to the city. It was sent to Angie (Arp) directly, and then she came off of office.”
Fitts then questioned Mayor Donna Whitener as to why she hadn’t been on top of it since she would’ve been over the department.
“Angie never notified anybody,” Whitener said. “There was nothing to look at.”
The council tabled any further discussion.
A bid for $5,000 to remove some trees in the city park were approved upon proof of licensure and insurance.
A bid of $6,400 was approved to remove the existing vinyl siding on the concessions stand at the city park, replace it with new siding and paint it.
Council members voted to have Johnson Paving remove the sidewalk in front of Angela Delorme’s office and put in fill dirt.
Delorme has agreed to do the landscaping once the fill dirt is in place, and the city will provide some compensation for her doing so.
All full-time city employees were granted short term disability at a cost of $8,208 a year.