Planning board recommends conditional rezoning for Murdocksville Road storage site with added screening

The Moore County Planning Board voted to recommend approval of a conditional rezoning for two adjacent parcels at 3626 Murdocksville Road to allow a mini-warehouse self-storage operation to become conforming, provided the owner meets new screening and stormwater conditions.

Ruth, a county planner, told the board the parcels are currently split-zoned (B-2 and RA-40) and the proposed B-2 Conditional Zoning would bring the use into compliance with current standards. "The current impervious surface area with all of the gravel and the buildings that are on the site is 4.572 acres, or 79.1% of the site," Ruth said, and staff said the owner would need to remove 0.416 acres of gravel and obtain a special non-residential intensity allocation (SNIA) to meet watershed limits.

The applicant, who identified himself as Marvin Aldine May and gave an address on Murdocksville Road, said he has been on the site for decades. "I've been there since 1996. I bought the place in 2001," he said, and described an incremental change from two storage buildings to additional outdoor storage and gravel surfacing. He apologized for gravel having been placed on part of the site without permits and said customers generally use a gate code; he told the board customers "don't usually come and go after 08:00."

Neighbors raised concerns about buffering, hours and property lines. Tanya Holt, who said she lives at 1156 Junior Play Road, told the board her family can see into their backyard from the storage site. "We have a pool in our backyard, which you can directly see," Holt said, and asked for more robust screening and regulated business hours to reduce late-night disturbance.

Board members and staff discussed screening options, including a "Type 3" vegetative screen (a wider layer of trees and shrubs) and the practical question of planting inside or outside an existing chain-link fence. The board's recommendation, adopted after an amended motion, requires that the owner install Type 3 vegetation along the rear property line, keep his existing Type 1 screening in place, meet the required 50-foot setback where applicable, and return for SNIA/stormwater approval before additional development. The board moved the planning-board Land Use Plan Consistency Statement and authorized the chairman to execute documents required by state law before forwarding the rezoning to the Board of Commissioners.

The motion to recommend approval carried on a voice vote. Staff announced the rezoning will be heard by the Moore County Board of Commissioners on May 20 at 5:30 p.m. in the same meeting room.

The board's action is a recommendation; the Board of Commissioners has final approval authority and may add, change or remove conditions during its hearing.