|
OBSERVATIONS
January 30, 2020 |
 |
 Wingate Lassiter |
More about those "granny flats":
they are
allowed, with strict limits
Smithfield Town Planner Stephen Wensman sent me a note clarifying the status of so-called "granny flats" in town. While reference to such "accessory dwelling units" has been removed from the proposed Town Plan presently before the Town Council, such back-yard apartments continue to be allowed --- although none exist in Smithfield at this time, according to Mr. Wensman.
"These are temporary health-care dwelling units," he noted. "These are permitted in the back yards of homes in residential zoning districts with certain conditions --- one being that they are temporary."
Another rule in the town's existing Unified Development Ordinance is that these units can be no larger than 150 square feet. "I have been told that a 150-square-foot space is too small to make (it) handicap accessible," Mr. Wensman wrote. "This is something I would like to address in the future."
The proposed Town Plan, he noted, "called for accessory dwelling units in certain districts with performance standards. The council wanted that language struck from the Town Plan because of the town's high number of rental units and fears of more."
OK, I understand the concern. But this kind of housing is apparently growing in popularity elsewhere, so perhaps Smithfield should take a longer look at the idea as we seek to make this a more desirable place to live.
A "Smithfield Museum of Local History"
doesn't have to be confined within four walls
I wish Smithfield had a museum of its own to enlighten present-day residents as well as visitors about the evolution of this place we call home. The best nearby model for that is the Benson Museum of Local History, where the town's story is told with a large collection of artifacts and photographs housed in a former furniture store in the heart of Benson's downtown.
But perhaps we can be a bit creative and start with an outdoor Smithfield Museum. We've got an ideal place for that --- the Neuse Riverwalk on the Town Commons where Smithfield got its start in 1777.
I got the idea for that during a visit not long ago to Lawrenceville, Georgia where my daughter Eleanor resides. Like Smithfield, Lawrenceville is an old courthouse town in the middle of Gwinnett County --- once a very rural place that's now the largest suburban county in terms of size and population outside Atlanta.
Lawrenceville shares its story as one strolls through its Bicentennial Plaza --- a brand-new park near the heart of town (pictured below)....
Actually, we've already got the beginnings of such an outdoor "walk through" museum. Here's a storyboard similar to the Lawrenceville set-up beside our Neuse Riverwalk near the amphitheater:
| It tells the story of Smithfield's beginnings as a ferry landing operated by the town's namesake, John Smith Jr. in colonial times. |  |
And there's lots more on-site history to see along the Riverwalk --- like the abutment for Smithfield's first bridge across the Neuse... |
 |
... and the majestic oak tree, perhaps 300 years old, somehow holding onto the river bank near what was likely the site of Smith's Ferry.... |
 |
This is where
Smithfield's story begins, so let's take it from there.
Got a comment or a question?
If so, send an e-mail to editor@smithfieldweeklysun.com.
Or, if you prefer, mail a letter to P.O. Box 1363, Smithfield, N.C. 27577.
We'll confirm receipt of your correspondence and, if any or all of it is appropriate for publication, we'll ask your permission to print before we "go to press." If we publish your submission, all we will show is your name and place of residence. Neither your e-mail address nor your complete postal address will be shared with our readers or anyone else.
To make verification simpler, please sign up as a subscriber if you haven't already done so, using the online form below:
RETURN TO THE SMITHFIELD WEEKLY SUN FRONT PAGE