… and there
will be no Weekly Sun
sent to subscribers
next Thursday
so we all can savor the
simplicity of Thanksgiving
Day.
Viewed
from Country Club Road,
here's the site of the
proposed townhouse
project.
Town
rejects 60-unit
townhouse plan at Holt
Lake, approves 168
apartments for site near
Outlet Center
The
Smithfield Town Council's
negative decision on
Country Club Townhomes
came at the end of Tuesday
night's
three-and-a-half-hour
quasi-judicial hearing
that resembled a trial in
Superior Court, with
witnesses called to
testify under oath by
attorneys representing the
project's developers and
its opponents.
The 60-unit project was
proposed for eight acres
on the north shore of Holt
Lake at the intersection
of US 301 and Country Club
Road. Its principal
opponents were residents
of an adjacent
neighborhood of
single-family dwellings
whose objections were laid
out in detail by "expert
witnesses" including a
real-estate appraiser and
an environmental
consultant.
Stephen Wensman, the
town's planning director,
said his staff was
recommending approval of
the project yet
acknowledged unresolved
questions regarding
building setbacks and
whether the development's
streets would be public or
private.
The council's unanimous
rejection of the plan was
based on several negative
"findings of fact"
including statements that
the project could have
"adverse effects on the
abutting or adjoining
properties" and could be
"noxious or offensive by
reason of vibration,
noise, odor, dust, smoke,
or gas."
James Lucas, a certified
real-estate appraiser,
testified that he had
calculated a potential 5%
loss in property values
for adjacent residences if
the townhouses were
constructed. Two of those
homeowners, Eason Keeney
and Bob Denning, voiced
concerns about multiple
townhouses close to their
backyards. Ms. Keeney
objected to "packing that
many people in like
sardines."
Jim Spangler, an
environmental consultant,
said storm-water runoff
accelerated by the
proposed rooftops,
streets, and driveways
would "definitely" pollute
Holt Lake, which is
private property owned by
a homeowners' association.
Mayor Andy Moore, who
acknowledged his status as
a resident of the adjacent
neighborhood, expressed
concern about a pumping
station that would be
required to lift
wastewater uphill to the
town's sewerage. He said
that could create an odor
problem as well as
additional maintenance
expense for the town –
especially since his area
(served by Duke Energy)
experiences frequent power
outages, he noted.
The council's rejection of
the plan submitted by
Brian Leonard of BRL
Engineering in behalf of
petitioner Crantock Land,
LLC included statements
that the project would "be
detrimental to or endanger
the public health, safety,
or general welfare" and
would not be
"complementary and in
harmony with the adjacent
homes."
Apartments
to be built at end of
extended Components
Drive
Following
a shorter quasi-judicial
hearing that drew no
public opposition, the
council voted without
dissent to approve a
168-unit apartment complex
to be built on 13 acres of
vacant land at the
intersection of Peedin
Road and Components Drive
near Carolina Premium
Outlets.
Brown Investment
Properties sought the
special-use permit for
Stadler Station with seven
buildings accommodating
one, two, and
three-bedroom units, a
pool and clubhouse, and
31,686 square feet of open
space available for
recreation. Components
Drive will be extended
beyond its present
intersection with Peedin
Road to provide two
entrances to the cluster
of apartments.
In response to a question
from Councilman Sloan
Stevens about available
sewer capacity for the
project, Utilities
Director Ted Credle said
the county's construction
of expanded wastewater
facilities in the
Smithfield-Selma area
should free up ample
capacity by the middle of
2025. A spokesman for the
developer said completion
of Stadler Station is "at
least a year away."
Street
issue puts Waddell Drive
townhouse proposal on
hold
A
third quasi-judicial
hearing, held as Monday's
meeting stretched past
midnight, brought forth
just one negative comment
from the public. Pam Lampe
said substandard Waddell
Drive could not safely
handle increased traffic
from the 17 townhouse
units proposed for two
acres northwest of the
circular street which
loops off North Bright
Leaf Boulevard.
Council members agreed
after Planning Director
Wensman noted that the
street is 18 feet wide,
significantly less than
the town's minimum
standard of 27 feet. He
also said a similar
townhouse project on
Waddell is coming before
the council soon. As a
result, council members
voted to table the matter
until their December 17
meeting when options to
address the street's
condition can be
considered.
Also postponed till next
month was a hearing on
preliminary approval of a
nine-lot single-family
residential subdivision on
Swift Creek Road just
north of its intersection
with Cleveland Road. Lanny
Clifton, the petitioner,
was not present as Monday
night's meeting drew to a
close.
Back
to Square One on next
year's school calendar
"Modified"
plan OK'd last week in
violation of state law
The
Johnston County Board of
Education during a special
session Monday morning
rescinded last week's 4-3
vote approving a
"modified" school calendar
that would have started
the 2025-26 fall semester
next August 4.
Katie Cornetto, the
board's attorney, advised
that action after she was
questioned by "the press"
about the new calendar's
legality. She was
apparently referring to a
News & Observer
story on last week's board
decision which cited a
state law that bars a
school system from
starting classes no
earlier than the Monday
closest to August 26
unless its local board had
put in place "a
modified calendar for the
2003‐2004 school year."
Ms. Cornetto said that
provision was added to the
law to enable Wake County
to continue operating
under its year-round
calendar.
Johnston County is
currently complying with
state law by starting
school in late August and
shortening the fall
semester by a couple of
weeks so mid-year exams
may be administered before
the Christmas holidays.
The Board of Education now
has a choice of continuing
that "condensed" calendar
or returning to a
"traditional" calendar
that extends the fall
semester into January.
At the end of Monday's
discussion of what to do
next, the board adjourned
the meeting without making
that decision, preferring
to wait at least another
month or perhaps two to
get additional input from
local school staffs as
well as the public before
adopting next year's
calendar.
In approving the
"modified" calendar last
week, board members Lyn
Andrews, Kay Carroll,
Kevin Donovan, and Mike
Wooten voted in favor
while Michelle Antoine,
Ronald Johnson, and Terry
Tippett voted no. The
board was unanimous in
Monday's vote to rescind
that action.
Princeton
town official is new
county commissioner
The
Johnston County Board of
Commissioners have
appointed Princeton Town
Commissioner Mike Rose to
fill the remaining two
years of the term of
recently ousted County
Commissioner Dickie
Braswell.
The vote to appoint him
Monday night was 5-1.
Commissioner Bill Stovall
said his first choice was
Kim LeQuire, a
wife and mother who helps
manage Kornegay Family Farms
and Produce.
Prior to Monday's vote,
Mr. Stovall said of the
two finalists: "The
county's going to win
regardless of who we
pick."
The commissioners last
week had interviewed four
candidates who had
submitted applications for
the seat vacated by last
month's conviction in
Johnston Superior Court of
Commissioner Braswell on a
felony charge of taking
indecent liberties with a
minor. According to state
law, those candidates had
to be, like Mr., Braswell,
registered Republicans
residing in southern
Johnston's District 3,
which extends from
Princeton to Benson.
Mr. Rose has
been serving on the
Princeton Town Board since
2014. He is currently the
board's water and sewer
commissioner and Mayor Pro
Tem. A former teacher in
Johnston County schools, he
started Princeton-based
Quickshirts, Inc. in 1995.
He's a 1986 graduate of
Princeton High School who
earned a bachelor's degree
in business and marketing
education at East Carolina
University in 1991.
Mr.
Rose will take office at
the commissioners' next
regularly scheduled
meeting on Monday,
December 2 along with
Michelle Pace Davis, newly
elected to fill the
District 1 seat on the
board now held by Fred
Smith, who did not seek
re-election.
Helene relief effort called "an overwhelming
success"
County
Manager Rick Hester gave
the board a report on the
county's relief effort for
victims of Hurricane
Helene's destruction. He
noted that 16
tractor-trailer loads of
donated supplies were sent
to Western N.C. and
recommended that $48,830
raised by the county's
campaign be donated
directly to Samaritan's
Pursue, one of the leading
non-profits behind relief
work still going on. The
commissioners consented.
Sheriff Steve Bizzell,
whose office coordinated
the county's efforts,
called the local response
"an overwhelming success,"
and he gave special thanks
to AirFlow Products led by
the Boswell and Holt
families for providing
trucks, drivers, fuel, and
pallets to transport goods
to a relief center in
Hendersonville. "We
brought more on the first
four loads than was in the
warehouse when we
arrived," the sheriff
said.
Clayton
to pay 50% of expanded
water supply's cost
Commissioners
on Monday approved an
agreement with the Town of
Clayton accepting payments
amounting to 50% of the
cost of the county's Lower
Neuse Water Supply
project, which will
include an intake on the
river at Richardson's
Bridge not far from the
Wayne County line and a
treatment plant near
Princeton capable of
producing 12-million
gallons of clean water
daily.
Director of Utilities
Chandra Farmer told
commissioners Clayton
anticipates needing half
of the water produced by
the new plant to meet the
town's future needs. Plans
call for the Lower Neuse
project to come online by
2030, she noted.
On another matter
of infrastructure,
commissioners approved a
$3-million contract with
Dellinger, Inc. of Monroe
for instrumentation
upgrades at the county's
older sewage-treatment
plant on the Neuse below
Smithfield. That facility,
originally built by the
town in the 1960s,
continues in operation
even though the county
recently brought into
service a second treatment
plant near the landfill
off NC 210.
Ms. Farmer noted that the
cost of upgrades at the
older plant is being
covered by federal ARPA
funding left over after
construction of the new
plant. ARPA is the
American Rescue Plan Act
adopted by Congress in
2021 in response to the
coronavirus pandemic.
Board says good-bye to Commissioner Fred
Smith
At the end
of Monday night's meeting,
county commissioners
presented a plaque of
appreciation to Mr. Smith,
who's leaving the board
next month after serving
as a commissioner in
2000-2002 and again from
2020 till now (he cut
short his first term to
serve six years as a state
senator in the N.C.
General Assembly).
Reflecting on his service,
Mr. Smith concluded his
remarks at Monday's
session with these parting
words: "I love what I did,
but I'm looking forward to
going home and taking care
of my cows" – on his
Wilders Township ranch
near Archer Lodge. (County
of Johnston photo from
Monday's meeting)
Business
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WHAT'S COMING
UP
Unveiling Sunday of library
desegregation
historical marker
The
Johnston County Heritage
Commission's Black
History Committee will
host the unveiling of a
“Smithfield Four”
historical marker at 3
p.m. this Sunday. The
four were activists who
attempted to check out a
book from the segregated
Smithfield Public
Library in 1957 and were
denied. They retained a
lawyer and engaged the
local and national
press, resulting in
desegregation of the
library by its trustees.
Sunday's event will take
place at 218 East
Johnston Street, across
from the Courthouse,
which was the 1957
location of the
Smithfield Public
Library.
Downtown to kick off season with
post-Thanksgiving
events
The
annual Town Tree
Lighting has
been moved this year from
the first Thursday in
December to Friday,
November 29 (the day after
Thanksgiving). A "Little
Elves Workshop" and
performances by various
troupes will continue on
Third Street beside the
Public Library from noon
till 7 p.m. The
tree-lighting itself is
scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at
nearby Town Hall Park.
Horse-drawn carriage rides
will be offered Downtown
from 6 to 9 p.m. at cost
of $25 per group.
Shop Small
Saturday on
November 30 will feature a
Local Holiday Market, a
free screening of "The
Polar Express" inside the
Howell Theatre at 10 a.m.,
and free pictures with
Santa in his hut on South
Third Street from noon
till 2 p.m.
County
and town boards meet the
week after Thanksgiving
The
Johnston County Board of
Commissioners will meet
twice on Monday, December
2 at the Courthouse – at
10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
VIEW agendas
once they're posted by
the end of next week>
The Smithfield Town
Council will meet at 7
p.m. Tuesday, December 3
at Town Hall.
VIEW the
agenda once it's posted
online by the end of
next week>
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS>
DEATHS
& FUNERALS
A
WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE
EDITOR
Legislators
put vouchers ahead of
"local control"
The
N.C. General Assembly was
back in session this week.
Yes, the legislators did
approve more disaster aid
for victims of Hurricane
Helene's flooding, but it
seems their top priority
was to override Governor
Roy Cooper's veto of a
bill that included $463
million in funding for
private-school vouchers
extended to upper-income
families who previously
didn't qualify.
Johnston County's
legislators are all part
of the Republican Party
majority that's needed in
its entirety to muster the
necessary two-thirds vote
in both the Senate and the
House to override a
gubernatorial veto.
Meanwhile, the General
Assembly's leaders
continue to ignore pleas
from local school leaders
across the state for
flexibility in setting
their yearly school
calendars.
Johnston's Board of
Education last week made a
valiant effort to get
around restrictive state
law by adopting a
"modified year-round"
calendar allowing
Johnston's public schools
to open earlier in August
than the required final
week of the month. But
that attempt fell by the
wayside when it came to
light that the proposed
calendar isn't allowable
as state law is presently
written.
How on earth can our state
legislature continue to
elevate the interests of
coastal tourism interests
above the education of our
children? In Johnston
County's case, the school
board is only given a
choice between a
"condensed" calendar that
cheats students with a
shortened fall semester
that ends before Christmas
and a "traditional"
calendar that interrupts
the learning before
mid-term exams in January.
Aren't we supposed to put
the uplifting of our
children above all else?
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