Zoning advocates strike back


It looked as if it was going to be an another evening of the anti-zoning protests that characterized the last County Commission meeting.

As anti-zoning advocates entered the meeting, they were greeted by a man distributing orange anti-zoning stickers. By the time the meeting was begun by Vance County Board of Commissioners Chairman Tim Pegram, audience members sporting the stickers numbered at slightly over 40.

Public comments were heard immediately after Planning Director Ken Krulik updated the board on the progress that the Citizen’s Advisory Committee had made in reviewing and amending the proposed zoning ordinance. During that update, the board voted to extend the committee’s deadline for revising the ordinance from 30 to up to 60 days.

In all, seven residents of Vance County signed up to speak to the board. Each speaker was allotted four and one-half minutes to speak. Commissioner Deborah Brown kept time for the board.

First to speak was John Yount, who identified himself as a Vance County property owner, resident, a businessman locally and in South Carolina, as well as a Baptist minister with the same church for 29 years.

“I don’t think I want to give up my rights to my property and have you tell me what to do with what’s mine,” Yount told commissioners.

He further informed commissioners that the only thing they have done for him since he purchased his land is tax him for it.

He told the board members that they had sworn to uphold the constitution of the United States and North Carolina, and that those documents protect his private citizen rights. He went on to say that the Bible they had put their hands on contains the Ten Commandments and quoted to them the commandment regarding covetousness.

He further advised them that he received a tax notice, but he did not receive a notice regarding the proposed zoning ordinance.

“I know what to do with my property,” Yount said. “If I had sense enough to buy it, and I had sense enough to pay for it, and I have sense enough to pay the taxes, I have sense enough to manage it.”

He claimed that the chairman of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee does not own land in Vance County.

He concluded his presentation by saying, “This is America, not Iraq, or Germany, or someplace like that. If you have to be reminded of that somewhere other than this place, we are prepared to do that.”

There was general applause.

Next to speak was Ronnie Perkinson, who told the board that he was exercising his right to freedom of speech granted by the constitution to talk about another of his rights, his property rights. He informed the board that he had the solution to the issue of zoning, and that the solution was to say “no”.

“And what part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?” he asked the board.

Perkinson claimed to represent Williamsboro and to have signatures of support against zoning.

He asked commissioners why seven people should tell everyone what to do.

He too was received with general applause.

Next to speak was Bob Fleming representing the Henderson-Vance Economic Partnership. He read into the record a resolution from the partnership endorsing a zoning ordinance, although the partnership did not resolve as to what particular form the ordinance should take.

Fleming told the board that the economics of Vance County had changed since 1972. He stated that foreign competition has sucked jobs out of Vance County. He stressed that the county must compete. He stated that companies are looking to protect their property investments and are also looking for a good quality of life for their employees when selecting sites for their facilities.

“Zoning is needed to protect the interest of our current citizens,” Fleming emphasized to the commissioners.

Cliff Rogers of the Vance County Economic Development Commission spoke to inform the board that his commission had voted to support land-use planning as well. Rodgers stated that zoning is necessary to attract jobs and business.

Rogers argued that the use of the internet has adversely affected Vance County’s quest to attract new business. He claimed that Vance County is being screened on the internet because of its lack of land-use planning.

“We never get the phone call,” Rogers said.

Rogers argued that incentives are necessary to attract jobs, and that whether one agrees or disagrees with zoning, it is necessary to have it to attract jobs.

Rogers also addressed what he believes is a “huge misinformation” regarding county-wide zoning, e.g., that taxes will go up. To the contrary, he believes that taxes will go up without zoning because without zoning Vance County will be unable to attract a new tax base.

Bill Edwards, president of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, was next to address the board. He too stated his organization’s support for land-use planning. He argued that between the years 2004 and 2008 that 5,000 new citizens will join Vance County. He argued that by 2009 there will be 220 people per square mile of the county’s 223 and a half square miles of habitable land. He stated that it is necessary to look at the use of existing square miles.

Edwards further argued that as the laws are currently structured, it would be perfectly legal for an “adult entertainment” to be opened in the mile between the ETJ and the Granville County line, near Dabney Elementary School. He further pointed out that it would neither be legal in the ETJ nor Granville County.

“There’s something wrong with that,” Edwards said.

Edwards told commissioners that protection is needed for adequate light and air.

The Chamber of Commerce president argued that Iowa, a state similar in size to North Carolina has land-use planning in 91 of its 108 counties, most of which are agricultural. He presented this as evidence that zoning “won’t hurt farmers”.

Philip Burnette, the chairman of the Henderson-Vance Republican Party, told the board about two resolutions that his party has passed during its recent convention. The first was a resolution in apprecation of those who refrain from the use of eminent domain for private commercial development. The second resolution was in support of appropriate land-use planning. As a caveat, he informed commissioners that this was not a blanket endorsement; however, he informed them that he appreciated the need for land-use planning in the county.

The last to speak was local businessman Sam Watkins. He argued that the community had made a mistake in marketing itself as “a cheap place to live”. He claimed that it had created problems of crime as well as problems in the schools. He urged the board to put land-use planning into effect. Reinforcing Rogers earlier claim, he argued that Vance County is being eliminated as a potential development area on the internet.

Without zoning, Watkins claimed, businesses know there are going to be “misuses”. He told the board that zoning is an effort to protect all. He urged commissioners to “raise the bar”.