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Commission recommends conditional‑industrial rezoning for Topia recycling site after lengthy presentation
Summary
The commission on April 27 recommended approval of conditional rezoning 25‑08 for about 8.5 acres to allow a Topia recycling and plastics‑processing facility; staff outlined conditions and applicants described Brownfields cleanup, investment of roughly $3.65 million, and a projected processing capacity of up to 8 million pounds of plastic per month.
The Burlington Planning & Zoning Commission voted on April 27 to recommend approval of conditional rezoning 25‑08, a request to rezone roughly 8.5 acres comprised of about 16–18 parcels from Heavy Industrial to Conditional Industrial to permit a post‑industrial plastics recycling and processing facility.
Staff presented the request and the draft ordinance conditions, explaining that the rezoning would allow a recycling center that is not permitted in any other district and that many existing uses on the property are currently nonconforming. Staff also noted a two‑year timeline in the draft conditions for consolidation of the parcels into a single tract should the ordinance be adopted.
Representatives of Topia Real Estate/Topia Holdings described the site's long industrial history — including use by Burlington Industries — and framed the project as adaptive reuse of an obsolescent, contaminated facility. A project representative said the intention since purchase was to pursue the Brownfields program; the representative explained that program requirements shaped the project approach and cleanup strategy.
Alex(ander) Long, introduced as CEO and managing partner for the real‑estate side, and others described current investments in the site and operations. "At full production capacity for this facility, we should be able to process 8,000,000 pounds a month of plastic," Alex Long said. Another project representative stated the group's current capital investment is about $3,650,000.
Commissioners asked about ingress/egress, driveway widths, truck traffic and whether the existing access is sufficient for larger trucks; staff and applicants said existing access points are shown on the plan, NCDOT participated in the review and made no modifications to access, and the Technical Review Committee would address any permit‑level changes. Applicants said the site currently supports contractor activity and that there are tens of trucks daily during renovation and material removals.
A motion (Option 2: approve inconsistent with future land‑use plan, amend the future land‑use map) was made, seconded and carried on roll call. Staff said the item will move to City Council for a work session and then a public hearing; staff tentatively anticipated City Council consideration in mid‑May.
Next steps: the conditional zoning ordinance and conditions will be forwarded to City Council for work session and public hearing; further site‑level approvals (TRC/building permits, environmental compliance) will follow before full operations.
Details from the record: the applicant said the building footprint (approximately 216,500 square feet) will be used as‑is where possible, environmental constraints influenced the adaptive reuse approach, and Topia representatives said they expect current on‑site activity of about 50 workers (including contractors) and potential growth to about 100 employees if the operation reaches planned scale.
