Burlington’s planning and zoning commission has given its unanimous nod to a rezoning request that would allow an existing car wash along South Church Street to spill over onto a now-vacant neighboring parcel.
Last Monday, the commission voted 6-to-0 to endorse this request to Burlington’s city council after John Arthur of Greensboro laid out his vision to expand the so-called “South Church Street Car Wash” onto an adjacent lot at 2161 South Church Street.
“I am planning on purchasing the property next door – the old car wash – and opening a new car wash,” Arthur acknowledged during that evening’s proceedings. “[It will have] the latest and greatest equipment….and I want to keep the traffic out of the road; that’s my plan.”
[Story continues below special subscription offer.]
TO KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST LOCAL NEWS, SUBSCRIBE TO THE ALAMANCE NEWS. JUST $50 FOR UNLIMITED ONLINE ACCESS – and for Alamance County residents, price includes a print copy by mail.
In order to proceed with his vision, Arthur has asked the city to adjust the zoning of the empty lot, which is situated at the northwest corner of South Church Street and Engleman Avenue.
At the moment, this .72-acre tract has a “conditional” business designation that dates back to a now-defunct system of land use regulations. Arthur’s request would supplant this obsolete label with a more up-to-date “conditional use” designation that would permit 63 of the 119 activities that are normally allowed in a general business district. At the same time, the new zoning would void some of the existing land use restrictions that are spelled out under the current “conditional” classification.
Jamie Lawson, the city’s planning director, reminded the commission’s members that the proposed car wash would be just one of the many potential uses permitted under Arthur’s requested “limited use” designation. Lawson nevertheless gave her imprimatur to Arthur’s request due to its consistency with other neighboring land uses.
“This is a commercial corridor and many of the uses they’re seeking are already allowed on the property,” she added, “and we’re in favor of bringing properties into compliance with our unified development ordinance.”
James Kirkpatrick, the chairman of Burlington’s planning commission, recalled that this property had been home to a car wash “years ago – when I was a kid.” The commissioners other members, likewise, saw the requested zoning as a reasonable fit with the other commercial land uses along this stretch of Church Street.
Arthur’s proposal also drew some words of caution from neighboring resident Leanna Giles, who was concerned about the perilous traffic conditions at South Church Street’s intersection with Engleman Avenue. Giles, who resides at the corner of Engleman and Sunnybrook Drive, went on to urge the commission’s members to consider some intersection improvements as part of Arthur’s rezoning request.
“We’ve got to do something about that intersection,” she added. “We have numerous car accidents out there on a regular basis…and I really want you to consider the safety of the entire community.”
The commission’s members acknowledged that road modifications are beyond the scope of Arthur’s request, which concerns a potential revision in permitted land use. They went on to vote 6-to-0 to recommend the rezoning request as it had been presented to Burlington’s city council.
