Gaston County commissioners approve rezoning of Lucia Riverbend parcel for GRY3 LLC

The Gaston County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 26 unanimously approved a rezoning that converts a 1.09-acre parcel on Lucia Riverbend Highway in Stanley from R-1 (single-family limited) to C-1 (light commercial) to match an adjacent property owned by the applicant.

Planner Peyton Wiggins of Building and Development Services told the commission the parcel (PID 173490) formerly held a mobile home and an accessory structure; the structures were demolished between 2023 and 2024 and the owners want to recombine the lot with a C-1 parcel to avoid split zoning. The planning board recommended approval by a 9–0 vote and staff said the request is consistent with the county’s Riverfront Gaston small-area plan and the parcel’s future land-use designation of suburban development.

John Yarber, representing applicant GRY3 LLC, said his company — a sales and marketing business — has used an office on the site and is considering options including moving off-site warehouse operations back into Gaston County or developing office suites. “We’re certainly pleased to have our case reheard… we just want to be good neighbors,” Yarber said.

Commission members asked few questions. Chairman Chad Brown said he had visited the property and expressed comfort with the business. Following a motion by Commissioner Bob Hovis and a second from Commissioner Jim Bailey, the board voted to approve the rezoning.

The rezoning will allow the subject parcel to be combined with adjacent PID 173473, currently zoned C-1, eliminating split zoning on the combined lot. Staff reported one phone inquiry from the public during the re-notice period; no protest petitions or objections were recorded in the staff report.

The county clerk was asked to read the required consistency statement following the vote. No conditions or amendments to the staff recommendation were recorded at the meeting.