Morganton council approves rezoning for 595 Cosby Road despite traffic concerns
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Summary
The Morganton City Council approved rezoning 6.15 acres at 595 Cosby Road from Exclusive Industrial District to High Intensity District, allowing commercial and limited residential uses; a nearby resident warned of tractor-trailer safety risks and the applicant said it will work with NCDOT to limit truck access.
The Morganton City Council voted Feb. 9 to rezone a 6.15-acre parcel at 595 Cosby Road (PIN 1772335858) from Exclusive Industrial District with a Phase 2 stormwater overlay to High Intensity District with the same overlay.
Planning staff told the council the parcel sits adjacent to I‑40 and would remain subject to stormwater rules; staff and the planning and zoning commission recommended the rezoning even though it is inconsistent with the Imagine Morganton 2030 comprehensive plan. Staff said the change would permit commercial uses — including restaurants and retail — that are not allowed in the Exclusive Industrial District, while continuing to prohibit certain industrial uses that could have off‑site impacts on nearby homes.
At a public hearing, resident Patrick Bartholomew of 511 Cosby Road said 4–5 tractor‑trailers pass his house daily, described close calls on the road’s curves and warned that the corridor is not designed for sustained truck traffic: “That tractor trailer is supposed to be in his side of the track,” he said, adding concern for a 16‑year‑old learning to drive.
Applicant Robert Bigelow of XPR responded that the developer is studying traffic patterns and working with NCDOT and the city to reduce use of Cosby Road by tractor‑trailers, saying, “Our intention is only to take as much of the traffic off of Interstate 40 into the truck stop center,” and that the team is prepared to add signage and design ingress/egress geometry to deter right turns onto Cosby Road.
Councilmembers debated whether the site’s highway location made the rezoning appropriate despite the plan inconsistency. A motion to approve the rezoning — including a statement that the change is inconsistent with the comprehensive plan and that utilities and DOT requirements will govern access — passed by voice vote.
The council noted that any development will require a DOT traffic study and that road changes or access improvements would be implemented at the developer’s expense. No changes to the Phase 2 stormwater overlay were proposed.
Next steps: the rezoning and map updates will be processed administratively and any future site development will be subject to DOT access approval and local permitting.