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Neighbors oppose Bear Creek Fabrication rezoning as company seeks space to expand
Summary
Lockley Holdings (doing business as Bear Creek Fabrication) asked to rezone a 10.04‑acre parcel from R‑1 to Heavy Industrial to match an adjacent facility; applicant counsel said the expansion could add 10–15 jobs in 12–24 months, while multiple nearby residents testified about noise, heavy‑truck traffic, road safety and property‑value concerns. The board referred the application to the Planning Board for review on Oct. 7.
Lockley Holdings asked the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 15 to rezone a 10.04‑acre parcel on Campbell Road from R‑1 residential to Heavy Industrial so its adjacent metal fabrication business can expand. Applicant counsel Nick Robinson said the business employs about 24 people now and, if approved, the company could add another "10 to 15 full time employees" within 12 to 24 months.
Neighbors — eight speakers at the hearing — described regular steel‑banging noise, tractor‑trailer traffic on narrow rural roads, and safety concerns at a curved driveway onto Bernie Phillips Road. Jan Phillips said she and generations of Campbells live on Campbell Road and presented a 72‑signature petition opposing the rezoning; several speakers said truck traffic has already damaged road surfaces and creates hazards for school buses and farm vehicles. Planning staff said no additional water or sewer infrastructure would be required and noted the parcel’s adjacency to an already‑zoned heavy‑industrial lot; the board closed the hearing and forwarded the application to the Planning Board (Oct. 7) for further evaluation and potential conditions.
Why it matters: The application pits goals of local economic development and job creation against residents' concerns about rural character, road safety and noise. If the rezoning is approved, heavy industrial uses listed in the county’s use table would be permitted on that parcel; more noxious uses would still require a special‑use permit.
