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Residents ask Rowan County to address commercial trucks parked on Carter Street; sheriff advised to enforce
Summary
Two residents told commissioners that commercial garbage and industrial trucks park on Carter Street in a southern Rowan County neighborhood, causing road damage, odors and public-safety concerns; commissioners and staff advised repeated reports to the sheriff and suggested zoning staff follow up.
Residents from the southern part of Rowan County urged commissioners during public comment to address repeated parking of commercial vehicles in a residential dead-end street that they say is damaging the road and posing safety and environmental concerns.
Santiago Quintero told the board he lives at the end of a dead-end and that commercial vehicles park on the public road near his home, causing erosion, oil leaks and odors that he said prevent children from safely playing outside. "I can't have my children ... I got 2 teenagers that can't go outside and and play because it's, RGS trash truck," Quintero said. He said vehicles often park halfway in the road and expressed concern that emergency vehicles would not be able to reach his home.
Anthony Baer, who said he sold his previous home next door to the property at issue and has observed the problem for 10 years, told the board the situation began previously with commercial trucks and that the state Department of Transportation once advised the truck owners to build off-road parking; Baer said that never happened. Baer said he and other neighbors have contacted the sheriff's office and highway patrol but still see trucks parked in the right of way. "We want we we need your help to to start enforcing some zoning where you can't bring commercial vehicles to a community or a residential community," he said.
Commissioner Pierce and other commissioners told the speakers to call the Rowan County Sheriff's Office, noting repeated complaints and recorded reports help deputies pursue enforcement. A commissioner suggested staff contact Ed Muir (county staff) or the county attorney to review zoning options; the record shows a staff comment, "Why don't, why don't you, tomorrow, give, Ed Muir a call and see if there's anything from a zoning standpoint we can do." The board did not direct a formal enforcement action during the meeting.
Why it matters
Residents described potential public-safety and environmental risks—blocked emergency access, road degradation and oil leaks near private wells. The comments illustrate limits between state-maintained roads, law enforcement jurisdiction and county zoning authority; the speakers and commissioners recommended repeated reporting to the sheriff's office while exploring county zoning or legal options.
Meeting context
The concerns were raised during the public-comment period; the record shows back-and-forth among residents and commissioners and no formal motion or county enforcement action was taken at the meeting.
