Plan commission tables Bridge Street rezone for impound lot, orders halt to further vehicle moves

The Mooresville Plan Commission on Oct. 12 voted to table a request to rezone a Bridge Street property used as an impound lot and ordered that no additional vehicles be moved onto the site pending follow-up work.

The motion to table — offered by a commission member and seconded — included a condition that no further business actions or vehicle movements occur on the property while the applicant addresses concerns about zoning compliance, drainage and environmental runoff. The motion passed with the commission indicating the motion carries.

Applicant representative John Lisonbee of Holloway Engineering said he was representing property owner Jeremy Hopkins and asked the commission to consider changing the zoning from I-1 (light industrial) to I-2 to allow the outdoor vehicle storage the owner has already created. "I'm John Lisonbee from Holloway Engineering here on behalf of Jeremy Hopkins," Lisonbee said, and he described the existing use as "an impound lot" with a raised gravel platform and an eight-foot chain-link fence with vinyl screening.

Lisonbee acknowledged that the owner began using and improving the lot before securing approvals and said a development plan and drainage report would be submitted if the rezoning is approved. "If he meets the criteria that Bridal is requesting and that that your drainage, that your drainage ordinance mandates, if he meets it, fantastic. If he doesn't, then they he simply can't run his business there," Lisonbee said.

Commission members and other speakers raised concerns about the site's proximity to White Lick Creek, runoff from wrecked or impounded vehicles, and the nearby school, Boys & Girls Club and ball fields. A Plan Commission member noted the risk of vehicles leaking fluids into the creek and cited prior recommendations from environmental reviewers opposing the use. The commission also discussed whether the use could be limited by ordinance conditions (for example, time limits on how long vehicles may remain) or other enforcement mechanisms.

Commission discussion noted the lot is roughly 2.5–3.5 acres in total, with the fenced impound area occupying roughly a quarter- to a third-acre, and that a retention pond and a 20-foot drainage easement lie on the property. Lisonbee said the retention pond area is in a flood zone and was designed as such as part of earlier approvals. The representative also said there are at least five vehicles currently parked outside the screened area.

Before tabling, the commission reviewed a written recommendation from Morgan County Soil & Water that the site remain light industrial. The commission acted to give the applicant one month to address drainage and compliance concerns and to return with additional documentation, and it added the explicit proviso that no further cars be moved onto the property during that period.

The decision to table does not constitute approval of rezoning; the commission requested additional materials and enforcement of the current nonconforming/illegal use while review continues.

The commission moved on to the next agenda item after the vote.