Morganton planning commission backs rezoning at Cosby Road to allow travel center and retail

The Morganton Planning & Zoning Commission voted on Jan. 8 to recommend the city council approve rezoning 595 Cosby Road (PIN 1772335858), a 6.145-acre parcel, from Exclusive Industrial District (EID) to High Intensity District (HID).

Staff planner Wendy told the commission the site sits adjacent to the I-40 Cosby Road (Exit 98) ramp and is currently subject to the city's Phase 2 stormwater overlay. She said HID allows a wider mix of commercial and service uses — including restaurants and retail — that are not permitted in EID, which preserves heavier industrial activities such as asphalt plants and salvage yards. "The proposed rezoning to HID would allow a greater variety of uses and then more limited or fewer off-site impacts," Wendy said during her report.

Applicant Robert Bigelow, representing 595 Cosby Road LLC, told the commission his firm envisions a travel center and truck stop with quick-service retail to serve interstate and local industrial traffic. Bigelow said the firm has consulted traffic and civil engineers and begun preliminary discussions with the NCDOT about access. "We're working and really focusing directly on the idea of finding areas for truck stops," he said.

Residents who live on Cosby Road expressed concern about increased truck traffic and safety at nearby curves. Staff read an emailed public comment from Roy Ashkenaz of 567 Cosby Road that said a three-day radar sampling logged 6,522 vehicles, with 2,609 recorded above 45 mph and 300 above 55 mph. Bruce Elder of 515 Cosby Road described semi-trailer jackknifes and infrastructure damage at the curve near his property. Tim Williamson said trucks block driveways and scatter debris. The commission and staff repeatedly noted that Cosby Road is under NCDOT jurisdiction and that any driveway or turn-lane changes would require DOT review and approval.

On environmental controls, staff said any development over one acre must submit an erosion-and-sediment-control plan to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and comply with the city's stormwater requirements, including recorded operation-and-maintenance plans for stormwater control measures. Residents raised concerns about a small stream that feeds Silver Creek Spring; staff said required riparian buffers apply and that the city's stormwater administrator would investigate the location and buffer extent raised by the public. The applicant said environmental audits and underground stormwater storage would be part of later site plans.

A commissioner moved and another seconded a resolution recommending council approval of the rezoning and an amendment to the city's Imagine Morganton 2040 future land use map. The commission approved the recommendation by voice vote. The item will go to the Morganton City Council on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m. for final consideration; the applicant and the public are invited to appear and may present the same or amended materials to council.

Next steps: if the council approves the rezoning, future development proposals will return to the city for site-plan review, DOT driveway permitting and required DEQ and stormwater approvals.