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Commissioners approve conditional rezoning for Union New Hope Road site
Summary
The Gaston County Board unanimously approved a conditional rezoning for two parcels at 1435 Union New Hope Road to permit a contractor's office and equipment storage yard, with conditions to recombine lots, retain existing vegetation as a buffer, and require certain vehicles be parked inside, planners said.
The Gaston County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously July 28 to approve a conditional rezoning request for parcels 190594 and 190596 at 1435 Union New Hope Road, allowing a contractor's office and equipment storage yard while attaching conditions to protect nearby residential lots. Planning staff said the two existing buildings predate county zoning and that the request is intended to bring the property into conformity with its current use.
Planning staff described the site as two older structures — about 3,000 and 5,200 square feet — on a parcel that slopes roughly 20 feet at the rear and has no flood designation. The applicant plans to recombine the two lots and keep existing mature landscaping as the primary buffer; staff noted the Planning & Zoning Board recommended approval 7–0. "The site identifies a designated area for a future building," staff said, adding that any future development would have to meet UDO standards, setbacks and architectural requirements.
The applicant's attorney, John Russell, told the board the businesses are local and long-established and that the proposal would allow continuation of a legal nonconforming use while enabling modest future expansion, if needed. "This is really a rezoning that will allow the continuation of what's been a legal nonconforming use and allow for some expansion of this property and this use in the future as the applicant's business continues to grow," Russell said. He also said trucks used now are sized to fit the existing garage and that a condition will require those vehicles to be stored inside when feasible.
Commissioner Sheehan asked whether storage would include landscaping materials and whether open canopies would be permitted; staff and the applicant said the 30-day limit on material storage referenced in the presentation is a self-imposed restriction and would need to be written into the conditional-district agreement for enforceability. After brief discussion, Commissioner Hovis moved to approve with the proposed modifications; Commissioner Kiger seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
