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Catawba County approves rezoning of 9.35 acres along NC 150 to Highway Commercial
Summary
The Board of Commissioners unanimously rezoned three parcels totaling 9.35 acres at 8134, 8162 and 8176 E. NC Highway 150 from R-20 Residential to Highway Commercial, citing the county comprehensive plan and proximity to existing nonresidential uses; the ordinance (No. 2025-03) was adopted June 16.
The Catawba County Board of Commissioners on June 16 unanimously approved rezoning three parcels totaling 9.35 acres at 8134, 8162 and 8176 E. NC Highway 150 from R-20 Residential to Highway Commercial (HC).
Planner Madison Whisnant told the board the parcels are within the Sherrills Ford small-area, lie inside the Mixed‑Use Corridor Overlay and the Watershed Protection Overlay, and are bisected by a 506‑foot Duke Energy transmission‑line easement. She said the request is speculative and that a developer has not presented a firm site plan. The board found the rezoning consistent with the 2024 Catawba County Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map, which recommends mixed‑use, commercial and multifamily development for the area.
Whisnant noted that the Highway Commercial district allows uses such as restaurants, office and retail, self‑storage and vehicle repair, though the MUC‑O and watershed rules restrict certain uses and limit built‑upon area. She also told the board that public water and sewer are along NC 150 and that access to sewer would depend on system capacity at the time of utility plan approval. Traffic counts near the site measured about 17,000 average daily trips in 2023, and county materials noted the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) had allocated right‑of‑way and construction funding for NC 150 widening in earlier drafts but that later drafts decommitted most construction funding through the next decade.
During the public hearing Eric Dunn raised questions about traffic and site plans. Cheryl Crawford, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said the development would “likely be a welcome recreational amenity in the area.” After discussion, Commissioner Robert C. Abernethy Jr. moved to find the rezoning reasonable and approve it; the motion carried 5‑0 and the board adopted Ordinance No. 2025‑03 to amend the official zoning atlas.
The ordinance and the board’s consistency statement cite the parcel locations along NC 150, the comprehensive plan designation, watershed protections that limit impervious surface, and compliance with Duke Energy transmission‑easement guidelines as bases for the approval. The board’s action allows future projects conforming to HC and overlay standards to be proposed on the parcels; any development would still be subject to site‑level review, utility capacity determinations, and watershed and easement requirements.
