Here's the scene in the auditorium of the Johnston County Agricultural Center where the County Commissioners conducted Monday evening's "town hall" meeting on the proposed Unified Development Ordinance. (County of Johnston photo)

despite revisions since January's raucous hearing

A new Unified Development Ordinance to regulate Johnston County's unprecedented residential growth has been in the making for more than a year and appeared headed for adoption by the County Commissioners until it ran into fierce public opposition at a hearing before the board two months ago.

As a result, commissioners postponed adoption of the lengthy document (more than 600 pages) until the county's planning staff and a consulting firm could review the proposed rules and recommend changes in light of objections voiced at that hearing on January 23.

Part of that review process was the "town hall" meeting held by commissioners Monday evening. Chairman Patrick Harris announced at the outset that the board would not take a vote on the UDO at this point.

Meanwhile, a couple of key revisions already made by staff were pointed out to Monday's large audience:
• Buffers between agricultural and residential properties have been reduced to as little as 35 feet and may include elements other than vegetation. 
• Limits on keeping farm animals on residential properties outside of major subdivisions have been eliminated.

Following the staff presentation (posted on the county's website), members of the audience were given an opportunity to speak.

A couple of speakers opposed reducing proposed buffers between farms and residences. Chairman Harris responded that he had favored wider buffers but farm owners objected on grounds that bigger buffers would "eat up valuable farm land."

Another speaker objected to regulations on what types of auxiliary structures could be added to residential lots. County Planning Director Braston Newton replied that "a lot of that is being removed" from the proposed UDO.

Generally speaking, many who spoke view the proposed UDO rules as an imposition on their property rights. "I don't want commissioners telling me what I can and can't do," said one speaker.

Much of the ire from Monday's audience was directed against growth. "We're being taken over by people who don't think like us," declared one woman. "I moved to this county to get away from Wake County," said another. "Let's not have growth at the expense of the people who are here" was another plea from the audience.

Referring to the purpose of a Unified Development Ordinance, Chairman Harris called it "the mechanism to get some control over that growth." He said Monday's forum was part of "the process" to "get it right." As a result, there's no deadline for finishing the new UDO, he indicated.

Following audience participation, citizens were encouraged to visit information stations around the room to learn about the document's details, ask questions, and offer opinions. "The county’s planning staff will take their suggestions and incorporate them into the next draft," said the county in a follow-up advisory. "Residents can expect to see that revision in the coming weeks." Updates will be posted with other information about the UDO on the Planning Department website>

NOTE: The county live-streamed and recorded Monday's session, which may be seen anytime on the county's YouTube channel>
 

 

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Downtown Smithfield Development Director Heidi Gilmond and Interim Town Manager Kim Pickett showed members of Downtown's business community Monday evening the wish list of improvements the town's Market Street Task Force wants the N.C. Department of Transportation to incorporate in the state's final plan to eliminate all on-street parking along Market Street.

The gathering of merchants, property owners, and residents of neighborhoods close to Downtown for the most part appeared to like what they saw.

The centerpiece of the town's recommendations is a system of one-way streets with angled parking surrounding the Courthouse. One-way pairs of Second Street (southbound) and Third (northbound) would extend from Johnston Street to Bridge Street while Johnston would be one-way (eastbound) from Second to Third.

Other recommendations from the task force include colorful "visual place-making techniques" for sidewalks, planters and other "streetscape elements," attractive "activated" storefronts, more "clear and visible signage," and "improved signal timing" along Market. "We're elevating Downtown's identity," Ms. Gilmond said.

Ms. Pickett said she and County Manager Rick Hester have discussed options for freeing up parking-lot spaces for the public presently occupied by town and county employees. Ms. Gilmond said another option is metered yet free parking along streets with fines imposed after two hours. That should prevent shopkeepers and employees from occupying those spaces for long periods, they noted.

Ms. Gilmond said another suggestion is to restrict large trucks to Market Street's center lanes – away from sidewalks. (The gathering was told that Market's lanes are now nine feet, six inches wide; NCDOT wants lanes at least 11 feet wide.)

When will the state's plan be done? "I've asked for it as soon as possible," Ms. Pickett said, emphasizing that the plan must go before the Town Council for its approval before work could begin, probably this summer.

Town officials are hoping the state will pick up most of the tab for what the task force has requested.

Acknowledging the negative impact on Downtown businesses of removing all parking along Market, Ms. Gilmond said the task force is working "to make lemonade out of lemons" with its proposals.

"Spin this thing as an opportunity" to make Downtown more attractive for patrons, Task Force Chairman Daniel Evans urged fellow business owners. Concluded Ms. Gilmond: "We're about to go over a big hump" before things get better.
 

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SSS senior wins Morehead-Cain Scholarship

Smithfield-Selma High School senior Anya Muminovic is a recipient of the prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholarship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Selected from thousands of nominees, Anya is recognized for her outstanding leadership, character, scholarship, and service.

The Morehead-Cain Scholarship provides a fully funded
four-year education that includes tuition, housing, meals, and enrichment experiences like global travel, internships, and leadership development.

Anya is the daughter of Sarah and Dejan Muminovic. She intends to major in public health on a pre-pharmacy track. (Story & photo from SSS Facebook page)
 

Todd Johnson was recognized as Smithfield's "Main Street Champion" for 2025 during the annual N.C. Main Street Conference where the N.C. Department of Commerce honored 42 individuals and organizations that "have made significant contributions to strengthening downtown districts and building vibrant communities." (DSDC photo)

He was nominated by the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation (DSDC), which as been part of the state's Main Street network since 1986.

“Todd’s passion for Smithfield runs deep, and his work has helped ensure that our history is not only preserved but meaningfully shared,” DSDC's leadership noted. “From championing the preservation of our historic downtown theater to helping bring the Tuscarora mural to life – honoring the original people of this land – Todd has a unique ability to connect our past with our present in ways that inspire community pride and understanding.”

Mr. Johnson is director of the Johnston County Heritage Center and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Historic Smithfield Foundation, which under his guidance recently engineered a transfer of ownership of Downtown's shuttered Howell Theatre to the newly established Smithfield Arts Collaborative, Inc. for repurposing as a performing arts center.

Mr. Johnson was also instrumental in recent arrangements for a mural honoring the region's Tuscarora Indian heritage to be attached to an exterior wall of a building on Downtown's South Third Street.
 

NCWorks Job Fair at Johnston Community College

Johnston Community College, in partnership with Capital Area Workforce Development and NCWorks Career Centers, hosted the event on its main campus in Smithfield. Around 200 job-seeking individuals attended the fair, which introduced them to 25 area employers offering hundreds of job vacancies. NCWorks serves residents of Wake, Chatham, Lee, and Orange counties as well as Johnston. To learn more about the organization, visit NCWorksforyou.org> (JCC photo)
 

 WHAT'S COMING UP 

River Jam Concert series returns to amphitheater Friday
The first of four free-admission concerts at the Neuse River Amphitheater this spring and summer features a band called The Switch. Three monthly concerts hosted by Smithfield Parks & Recreation will follow: Cooper Greer April 24, Jim Quick and the Coastline Band May 15, and Liquid Pleasure June 12. All concerts begin at 7 p.m.

Town of Smithfield's Easter Egg Hunt Sunday afternoon
Open free of charge to youngsters 3-12 years of age, it starts at 3 p.m. at Community Park off Durwood Stephenson Parkway. Besides the egg hunt, children can meet the Easter Bunny and enjoy face painting and games with prizes.

West Smithfield's "Greytown" to celebrate its new sign
The Town of Smithfield will hold a ribbon cutting for the newly installed "Greytown" landmark sign at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at the corner of US 70 Business West and Hill Street. Greytown is a long-standing African-American neighborhood. The town recently installed a new sign to replace one that stood there for many years.
 

 DEATHS AND FUNERALS 
Click on the name to read an obituary, usually posted by the funeral home:

 A WORD (OR TWO) FROM THE EDITOR 

Quilts like these are unique personal mementos

Some years ago my daughter gave me a quilt a friend of hers made with T-shirts from long-distance road "races" I enjoyed doing over many years. I had been wondering what to do with all those shirts, and she solved the problem, enabling me to toss most of my collection in favor of that single quilt "participation trophy."

Now I see that the Town of Smithfield is raffling a hand-crafted quilt made from Ham & Yam Festival T-shirts from the past 40 years (the first festival took place in 1985). Raffle tickets are $20 each available for purchase at Town Hall.
This year's Ham & Yam is just over one month away – on Saturday, May 2. Here's the official logo for this year's event, once again to be hosted by the non-profit Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation.
While we're on public-service announcements, the town has posted on Facebook this invitation to serve on a couple of municipal advisory boards:

The town's web address is https://www.smithfield-nc.com>
 

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