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Residents tell Mooresville board parking, safety and downtown cleanliness need attention; speaker warns state bills could limit local zoning authority
Summary
During public comment at the Mooresville meeting, residents urged the town to address loss of on-street parking near Moorebaugh Park, pedestrian and disabled safety with curb extensions, downtown sanitation and music volume, and warned of state legislation that could reduce local zoning authority and expose local officials to lawsuits.
Several residents used the public-comment period at the Town of Mooresville board meeting to raise neighborhood safety and downtown cleanliness concerns and to urge civic engagement on pending state legislation.
Marion Barnes and Sabrina Barnes, who live at 222 West Lawrence Avenue across from Moorebaugh Park, said curb extensions and newly added handicap parallel parking removed on-street parking adjacent to their home and placed the household’s disabled resident at risk. Marion Barnes said he needs at least one reserved parking spot for visiting health-care providers and described vehicles speeding past their home. “I need my parking, I tell you. At least 1 parking spot,” he said.
Sabrina Barnes said the curb extension, handicap parallel parking and increased pedestrian activity create hazards for her disabled husband and other walkers and cyclists, and she criticized the denial of earlier requests for speed humps or a one-way conversion. “Our driveway holds 2 cars... my disabled husband has CNAs, nurses, doctors, and therapists to keep him alive,” she said, adding that the family had not received consistent communication about the plans and worried about increased traffic and noise related to the ballpark project.
Lynn Taylor reported a “vile and disgusting smell” downtown beginning near 236 South Main and said the odor extends through several storefronts that appear vacant. Taylor referenced state law and town ordinance chapters addressing public urination and indecent exposure if the smell is caused by outside urination. She also complained about music piped through streetlights, saying sexually suggestive lyrics had played during hours she considered family time and that the combination of smell and music could discourage visitors from spending time downtown.
Matt Sinn (Sinn) urged residents to contact state lawmakers about measures pending in Raleigh that he said would transfer zoning authority away from local governments and could make locally elected officials personally liable for zoning decisions. Sinn cited bills by number, including HB 765 and Senate Bill 205, and said several related bills were active in the legislature; he urged the community to protect local control and to support legal protections for local officials.
Richard Beck praised town street maintenance for clearing debris from gutters on NC-3/Ardo Avenue and suggested the North Carolina Department of Transportation had shirked responsibility for maintenance on state roadways. He criticized perceived staff turnover and inconsistency in planning/development review that he said was leading to repeated submittals and uncertainty for developers.
Speakers thanked particular staff members who had assisted them and encouraged the board to respond to the concerns raised. Several comments included requests for speed humps, better communication from town liaisons and more active police monitoring of speed.
