Planning board approves variance for Rural King at 401 E. U.S. Highway 64

The Lexington Planning Board voted on Aug. 17 to approve variances requested for a proposed Rural King store at 401 E. U.S. Highway 64, a former Piedmont Canyon distribution center owned by AJ Helm, Lexington, NC, LLC.

Drew Nelson, outside corporate counsel for Rural King, told the board the chain is expanding in the South and that the company seeks relief because the long building sits far back from Highway 64 and lacks conventional side or rear space for a garden‑center-style outdoor display. Nelson said the project would reuse the existing 93,000-square-foot building and projected "about a 100 jobs in terms of full and part time jobs." The applicant described a site plan showing roughly 244 parking spaces and various delineated outdoor display areas (referred to in the presentation as a "bullpen").

Staff walked the board through the variance standards and the board took sequential votes on the four required quasi‑judicial findings. Each finding carried on voice votes and the board then voted to approve the variance; the chair stated, "It is approved." The transcript records motion(s), a second and affirmative voice votes; no opposing votes were recorded in the excerpt.

Next steps: if development proceeds, plan review and building permits will address ingress/egress, emergency access and detailed site layout. The variance approval does not itself authorize construction; subsequent permitting and plan-review steps remain required.