In addition to fobbing off a divisive rezoning request along Garden Road onto the city’s planning and zoning commission [see separate story this edition ], Burlington’s city council also bought itself some additional time to deal with another land use proposal that came up for consideration on Tuesday.
The council ultimately resolved to put off its decision on this request which Debra Dixon-Doss had proposed to expand the allowable uses of a residential duplex she owns near the central office of the Alamance-Burlington school system.
A one-time finance director for Burlington’s formerly free-standing school system, Dixon-Doss told the council that she and her husband originally purchased this 1.1-acre parcel at 424 Camp Road as an investment some 40 years ago. She added that the neighborhood was then, as it is now, home to a fair number of commercial activities.
“At the time of the purchase, that property was used as a photography studio,” the retired public school administrator recalled. “Ms. Margaret next door ran a daycare out of her home…We could almost touch medical village…and Burlington city schools just moved into what used to be the TIA [Technical Institute of Alamance] building.”
Dixon-Doss added that she and her husband were disappointed to learn that their own property was zoned strictly for residential use notwithstanding the previous owner’s foray into photography. She added that they would now like to revive the property’s commercial legacy – albeit in a way that’s not only legal but in line with other neighboring land uses.
To this end, Dixon-Doss presented the council with a request for a “limited” form of mixed use development that included a number of retail activities which are outside the scope of the property’s existing zoning. These proposed uses include things like computer services, a medical or professional office, a hair or nail salon, and a self storage business with internal access.
Dixon-Doss assured the council that she has gone to some trouble to make sure her plans won’t aggravate any of her neighbors.
“We didn’t choose businesses that are what I would call ‘mega businesses,’” she stressed. “I have personally talked to the owners of the adjoining properties, and nobody voiced a concern.”
The council, meanwhile, proved a harder sell than the neighboring property owners. At the behest of councilman Bob Ward, who said he wanted more time to review the request, the city’s elected leaders voted 5-to-0 to postpone the matter until March 4.
