Commissioners rezone two parcels to General Business; Ashton Drive decision followed neighbor opposition

The Burke County Board of Commissioners on April 21 adopted two rezoning ordinances to change parcels from Residential‑2 (R‑2) to General Business (GB).

At the first hearing, planning staff said the property at 2907 North Carolina 18 South (ZMA‑2025‑01) is a 0.27‑acre parcel that has hosted a commercial building for many years and that rezoning would align zoning with actual use. Deputy County Manager and Planning Director Alan Vines told the board the Planning Board reviewed the request and voted 7‑0 in favor. The board adopted ordinance 2025‑03 by unanimous vote.

The second request (ZMA‑2025‑02) asked to rezone a 1.15‑acre parcel on Ashton Drive next to Evans Construction to allow the business to park equipment and stage trucks. Alan Vines described the proposal and explained the county’s zoning ordinance requires a 10‑foot‑wide planted evergreen buffer along the south, west and north edges where the parcel abuts residential uses. At the Planning Board hearing the request received a 6‑1 negative recommendation; at the commissioners meeting resident Terry Swanson opposed the change and urged the board to “protect the community and let it grow as a community, not as a business,” citing recent single‑family development nearby and schoolchildren walking along streets.

Evans Construction owner Mickey Evans and office employee Jean Miller told commissioners the business has operated at the site for about 55 years, that the company needs room to store equipment and that Evans had collected neighborhood signatures in support. Evans said the lot’s gate is secured after hours and that he keeps security cameras and fences in place. “We are requesting to rezone the property we purchased next to us to park just to park our equipment,” Evans said.

Commissioners voted 5‑0 to adopt ordinance 2025‑04 for the Ashton Drive parcel. The rezoning approval includes the perimeter landscape buffer requirement intended to reduce impacts on adjacent residences.

Why it matters Rezoning aligns official zoning with long‑standing commercial uses in both locations and imposes a buffer to protect nearby homes where business operations abut residential lots. For Ashton Drive, the board balanced the applicant’s operational needs and supporting neighborhood signatures against a neighbor’s safety and community‑character concerns.

Implementation and follow‑up Planning staff will record the ordinance, update the official zoning map and ensure the required buffer is installed or augmented to meet the ordinance standards.