Person County approves partial rezoning near US‑501, limits change to west‑side parcels
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Summary
After a rehearing prompted by a notice typo, the Person County Board approved rezoning for parcels on the west side of Jim Thorpe (US‑501) to Highway Business B‑1 and left east‑side parcels unchanged; neighbors near Providence Baptist Church had warned of traffic and contamination risks.
The Person County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a partial rezoning request for property near the US‑501/NC‑49 intersection, limiting the change to parcels on the west side of Jim Thorpe Highway.
The request came from landholders Chris and Brian Hicks to rezone 6.62 acres across six parcels from Residential R to Highway Business B‑1. The board reopened the matter at the applicants’ request after staff discovered a typographical error in the previous hearing notice. Planning staff described the parcels as within the county’s growth area and noted some split‑zoned lots.
Neighbors raised safety and environmental concerns during the public hearing. “Once you zone it for that, they can do whatever they want to there,” said Reverend Raymond Wooden, who opposed east‑side commercial zoning adjacent to Providence Baptist Church and cited the risk of groundwater contamination and dangerous traffic conditions near the church and cemetery. Herman Gentry, a church trustee, said the cemetery and playground lie close to vehicle paths and expressed concern about heavy trucks using a narrow dead‑end road.
Applicant Chris Hicks told the board he did not currently intend to remove residential structures on the east parcels and said businesses that had expressed interest might reuse existing buildings. He also suggested potential traffic mitigations and noted that driveway access and any larger roadway changes would be subject to North Carolina Department of Transportation permits.
After discussion about permitted uses in B‑1, split zoning on one parcel, and DOT access controls on US‑501, a substitute motion — mirroring a prior action in November — limited approval to the parcels on the west side of Jim Thorpe Highway and left the east‑side parcel(s) unchanged. The substitute motion passed by voice vote reported as 4–1. The board noted that DOT driveway permitting would control direct access to the highway and that rezoning alone does not authorize demolition or immediate redevelopment without subsequent permits and building inspections.
The decision resolves the applicants’ rehearing request and preserves the east‑side parcel’s residential designation pending any future applications or changes.
