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Commissioners set public hearing on rezoning request for Smith property along US‑64
Summary
Owners Brian and Robin Smith requested rezoning of 4.5 acres fronting US‑64 from residential to rural mixed‑use to allow builder support uses; planning staff and the planning board recommended approval and a public hearing is scheduled.
The Burke County Board of Commissioners on Monday kept on the agenda a zoning map amendment request by Brian and Robin Smith to rezone the roughly 4.5‑acre frontage of a 23‑acre parcel on U.S. 64 from Residential‑3 to Rural Mixed Use.
Alan Glines, the county planning director, said the parcel is in the Morganton township and lies along a corridor already characterized by a mix of single‑family homes and businesses. Glines described the applicant, Brian Smith, as a local custom home builder and said Smith has used an outbuilding on the property since 2022 to store equipment and perform occasional repairs related to his building business.
"He’s had people approach him for the same thing — ‘could you fix this front end loader’ — so he helps to do that and be able to use that property for these mixed purposes," Glines said.
Glines told commissioners the planning board recommended unanimous approval (6–0) at its meeting and that one nearby neighbor spoke in favor. He said the county’s future land‑use map envisions housing infill on the site but that the requested Rural Mixed Use designation is consistent with adjacent development patterns and would provide flexibility for current and prospective uses.
The board left the application on the agenda for a scheduled public hearing at the regular May meeting; no formal vote was taken during the pre‑agenda session.
Why it matters: A Rural Mixed Use designation would allow a broader range of commercial and service activities along a rural highway corridor and could formalize activity already occurring on the property. Supporters say the change reflects existing character; opponents — if any attend the hearing — may cite future traffic or compatibility concerns.
What’s next: The rezoning request will go to public hearing at the county’s regular meeting, where commissioners may vote to approve, modify or deny the map amendment.
