Commissioners approve rezoning of 430 acres on Lower Moncure Road to light industrial over planning board recommendation

The Lee County Board of Commissioners voted Sept. 15 to rezone 430 acres with frontage on Lower Moncure Road from residential‑agricultural (RA) to light industrial (LI), clearing the way for a proposed light‑industrial business park.

The planning board had recommended denial by a 4‑3 vote after concerns about traffic, environmental impacts and enforceability of voluntary commitments. Amy McNeil of the county planning department summarized the planning board’s August 18 recommendation and noted that the applicant, John Keener, submitted a letter that was placed on the commissioners’ desk.

At public comment, supporters and nearby property owners differed. Steven Baber, representing at least eight adjacent property owners, urged commissioners to approve the rezoning and warned that denial could produce city annexation and larger residential subdivisions. "Looking at the worst case scenario, which would be 1 shift, everyone coming in at the same time, that will be about 2,800 trips less per day than what will be generated by a 430, sub, home subdivision on the same site," the applicant’s representative said, referencing a traffic study submitted with the application. Other neighbors who had opposed the petition earlier told the board they had reconsidered and supported approval to avoid city annexation and residential development.

Commissioners discussed plan consistency. Using sample motions provided by planning staff, the board first adopted a motion ("option 3") that the proposed zoning amendment is both "consistent and not consistent" with the adopted comprehensive land use plan (referred to in the packet as "San Lee"). The board then approved a second motion finding the rezoning to be reasonable and in the public interest and changed the zoning from RA to LI.

The motions as read in the minutes cited two rationales: that roughly 25% of the developable land aligns with industrial center place type and leverages existing infrastructure, and that about 75% of developable land is designated countryside, which does not generally support industrial zoning. Commissioners who supported approval emphasized market timing and the county’s interest in economic development and commercial tax base; those who opposed had raised concerns earlier about environmental buffers, noise, lighting, and the inability to enforce voluntary commitments under a general‑use rezoning.

The rezoning will permit light‑industrial uses by right; voluntary commitments such as buffers and limitations on development south of the rail line were described in the applicant’s letter but, as staff reminded the board, cannot be enforced through a general‑use rezoning unless converted to legally binding instruments.

Provenance (transcript excerpts): "My name is Steven Baber... I'm here to speak in favor of the requests before the board for the rezoning of 4 30 acres from residential agricultural to light industrial." (block_id: "1833.34", reason_code: "topicintro", evidence_excerpt: "My name is Steven Baber. I live at 3644 Lower Montier Road, Sanford. I'm here to speak in favor of the, requests before the board for the rezoning of 4 30 acres from residential agricultural to light industrial.")

"Okay. We have the motion to approve the proposed zoning map amendment from residential agricultural to light industrial..." (block_id: "3711.095","reason_code":"topicfinish","evidence_excerpt":"Okay. We have the motion to approve the proposed zoning map amendment from residential agricultural to light industrial, because it is reasonable and in the public interest given the acreage needed for an industrial park and that the location and timing for the development of the industrial park tends to be market driven and is therefore difficult to factor into a long long range land use plan.")