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Wilson County planning board recommends denying rezoning at NC Highway 42 and Sadie Road
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Summary
The Wilson County Planning Board on an unspecified date recommended denial of rezoning request REZ-25-02, a request to rezone approximately 1.97 acres at NC Highway 42 West and Sadie Road from AR to B-1.
The Wilson County Planning Board on an unspecified date recommended denial of rezoning request REZ-25-02, a request to rezone approximately 1.97 acres (the front portion of a 64.95-acre tract owned by Diane Sharp Boston) from AR (agricultural-residential) to B-1 (neighborhood commercial) at the corner of NC Highway 42 West and Sadie Road.
Planning staff told the board county water is available at the site and private septic would be required on individual lots. Staff said the parcel is near a recognized rural commercial crossroads and therefore the request was “partially compatible” with the Wilson County 2045 comprehensive land use plan; staff also noted that B-1 allows a range of small-scale commercial uses including markets, convenience stores and gas stations, while some uses require a special-use permit.
The developer’s representative, Chris Cox of Goldsboro, said the applicant (Glendon Forest Equity) and the landowner selected the location because of growing demand and nearby precedent of B-1 zoning along Highway 42. Cox said the applicant would prefer access from Sadie Road rather than Hwy. 42 and that the site is roughly a half mile from an existing rural commercial node.
Multiple nearby residents spoke against the rezoning during public comment. Jimmy Sedano, who identified his address as 7216 NC Highway 42 and said he has lived there about 10 years, urged the board to preserve rural character and cited “cultural erosion” if commercial uses expand into the countryside. Other residents, including Brent Barnes and a speaker identified as Ambrose (who read a letter from Jenny Hayes, principal of Benton Field High School), told the board they were concerned about increased traffic and crashes on Highway 42, lighting and noise from a commercial parking area, potential crime and impacts on property values and community character. One resident asked whether road widening on Sadie would require taking private land.
Board members asked staff about required buffers, parking-lot and building landscaping, and lighting standards. Staff and a planning colleague said that, if rezoned and a business proposal is submitted, the project would be required to meet the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) buffering and lighting standards (a Type C buffer was cited as an example, described as approximately a 20-foot planting area with trees and shrubs), and that signage and lighting rules would apply and be enforced administratively.
After discussion, a board member moved that the Wilson County Planning Board recommend denial of REZ-25-02; the motion was seconded and the board voted to recommend denial. The Planning Board chair reiterated that the board issues recommendations and that the rezoning will next go to the Wilson County Board of Commissioners for a final decision. Staff said they will notify interested parties of the commissioners’ hearing date.
The staff packet identified the property owner as Diane Sharp Boston and listed the site as a 1.97-acre portion of a 64.95-acre tract; county water is available and private septic will be required. Specific future uses were not described in the record; the rezoning considered only the change in zoning category.
