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Residents raise traffic and notice concerns at Morrisville Motorsports rezoning hearing; commissioners reopen hearing for evening session
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Summary
A legislative hearing on a rezoning and SNIA request near the Morrisville drag strip drew multiple residents concerned about traffic, driveway access and mailed‑notice procedures; planning staff said the request was consistent with the 2025 land use plan and planning board recommendation, and the commission agreed to keep the hearing open and resume at a 6 p.m. meeting on April 26.
Rowan County planning staff on April 6 presented a rezoning and SNIA application for the property that contains the Morrisville drag strip and adjoining acreage, describing a request to rezone about 13 acres from Rural Agriculture (RA) to Commercial/Business/Industrial (CBI) and to permit a 15.85‑acre SNIA (special nonconforming intensity allocation) to allow up to roughly 50% built‑upon area on that tract.
Aaron (planning staff) explained the conceptual site would include about 170,000 square feet of buildings, including a proposed 50,000‑square‑foot motorsports training facility and multiple garage suites. The request, staff said, falls within the county’s newly adopted 2025 land use plan (rural commerce/industry node) and had been approved unanimously by the planning board.
Several nearby residents spoke against approving the request without additional notice and evaluation of traffic and quality‑of‑life impacts. Leah Robinson, who said she and her partner purchased a home near the southern end of Wilkinson Road less than a year ago, described frequent event traffic and said driveway access is often impeded during events. "This traffic has only further increased with the residential development that's come our way," she told the board, and she urged the commissioners to consider preserving agricultural land and neighborhood character.
Tony Robinson, another adjacent resident, said he did not receive mailed notice of the planning board hearing and described noise and safety problems during events, and he asked whether the county could increase onsite enforcement or require roadway improvements. Several speakers said the small posted sign and standard mailed notice did not reach many working residents, and they requested a night meeting and refreshed notices so more neighbors could attend.
The applicant’s attorney, Lisa Valdez, said the area proposed for rezoning is several hundred feet from the nearest homes and that the request extends an existing CBI district; she argued the proposal complies with the land use plan and would not materially increase the drag‑strip operations that already exist on adjacent property.
Planning staff noted the most recent traffic count for Wilkerson/Wilkinson Road was about 2,100 vehicles per day (2022). Commissioners debated notice procedures — staff said the county mails to properties within a 100‑foot buffer under its ordinance and posts roadside signs and a Salisbury Post legal notice — and several commissioners acknowledged room to improve outreach. To accommodate residents who said they had not received notice, the board recessed the legislative hearing and directed staff to re‑post signage and re‑notice the hearing; the public hearing will resume at the board’s 6:00 p.m. meeting on April 26 to allow broader participation.
Next steps: the board will resume the legislative hearing at the April 26 6:00 p.m. meeting with re‑notice and re‑posted signs; staff and the applicant will be available to answer additional questions about traffic, driveway access and NCDOT driveway permit requirements.
(Reporting note: details and direct quotes are drawn from the April 6, 2026 Rowan County Board of Commissioners meeting transcript.)
