PLANNING BOARD MEETING

TOWN OF SYLVA PLANNING BOARD MEETING Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM Board Room, 83 Allen Street Sylva, North Carolina MINUTES PRESENT: Russ Harris Paige Dowling, Town Manager Geoffrey Hirsch Amanda Murajda, Town Clerk Larry Tyson Melissa Madrona Kendall Waldrop ABSENT: Rose Bauguess CALL TO ORDER The Planning Board meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. STAFF PRESENT: None. VISITORS: John Jeleniewski (Sr. County Planner) and Paul Heckert APPROVAL OF MINUTES Geoffrey Hirsch made a motion to approve the October 2, 2023 minutes. Kendall Waldrop seconded the motion, and the motion carried with a unanimous vote. NEW BUSINESS ZONING MAP AMENDMENT REQUEST—SYLVA CHURCH OF GOD/HEIGHTS, INC.: John Jeleniewski, Senior County Planner, presented the staff report as follows: Applicant: Sylva Church of God – Property Owners; Hights, Inc. (purchaser) Property Location: 130 Sunrise Park, 131 Sunrise Park, Sylva NC 28779; PIN 7641-37-9289 & 7641-47-1241 Current Property Zoning: High Density Residential - HDR Ordinance Section for which the Text Amendment is requested: Article 3 - Procedures - Section 3.9.B – Zoning and Map Amendments Description of Request: The applicant is requesting a map amendment that would designate the subject properties as General Business (GB) District. Background: The General Business District (GB) is the largest district within Sylva’s commercially zoned jurisdiction. The GB District offers a broad range of permitted (use-by-right) and special uses (SUP) such as lodging, retail/commercial, restaurants, public/civil, accessory dwellings and recreational uses. Property improvements in this district are subject to development standards as set forth in the zoning ordinance including building setbacks, landscaping, architectural standards, sidewalk construction, parking, storm water treatment, etc. The subject properties are located on both sides of Sunrise Park (road), approximately 720 ft south of Highway 107/Sunrise Park intersection. The total land area for both properties is 0.72 acres with a main church structure, formally the Church of God (west side) and two accessory dwellings. Access to this property is from the public right-of-way of Sunrise Park (S.R. 1355), Ensley Street and Conley Street. This property is adjacent to properties to the northeast that are in the GB District and are not located within the 100-year flood plain. This property is served by Tuckaseigee Water & Sewer Authority for public utilities. Application Response: The applicant is requesting that the existing Town of Sylva Zoning Map be amended to designate the subject property (portion of the 0.72 acres after subdivision) to the General Business District. Planning Board Meeting February 27, 2025 Staff Findings: The requested map amendment would not constitute “spot zoning” as the properties to the northeast are zoned GB District. The Town’s adopted Land Use Plan for 2040 establishes that this property will be in the future Civic and Cultural District and the encouraged land uses for this future district include: Public and private green space; Recreation (passive or active); forested land; buildings, structures and/or commercial uses that support or activate parks and recreation facilities; government/social service facilities, places of worship, and educational facilities. However, if the map amendment request is approved (GB), these properties will be in the future Community Corridor District with encouraged land uses for this district being mixed-use buildings, institutional uses, walkable neighborhood commercial (retail, office, personal services), large scale commercial, business centers, community services and civic/educational services. In addition, this requested map amendment will create available property and opportunity in the current GB District that may be needed to serve the community during/after the proposed Highway 107 improvement project. Paul Heckert, Director of Hights, Inc, addressed the board and gave a description of what Hights, Inc does in the community. Being no further discussion, Russ Harris made a motion to approve the map amendment request. Kendall Waldrop seconded the motion, and the motion carried with a unanimous vote. Melissa Madrona read the statement of consistency for the application. Kendall Waldrop made a motion to approve the statement of consistency, Geoffrey Hirsch seconded the motion, and the motion carried with a unanimous vote. ZONING MAP AMENDMENT REQUEST—MISTY & LARMAN TAYLOR: John Jeleniewski, Senior County Planner, presented the staff report to the zoning map amendment request as follows: Applicant: Misty and Larman Taylor – Property Owners Property Location: 28 and 42 Path Finder Lane, Sylva NC 28779; PIN’s 7641-66-6143 and 7641-66-7045 Current Property Zoning: High Density Residential - HDR Ordinance Section for which the Text Amendment is requested: Article 3 - Procedures - Section 3.9.B – Zoning and Map Amendments Description of Request: The applicant is requesting a map amendment that would designate the subject properties as General Business (GB) District. Background: The General Business District (GB) is the largest district within Sylva’s commercially zoned jurisdiction. The GB District offers a broad range of permitted (use-by-right) and special uses (SUP) such as lodging, retail/commercial, restaurants, public/civil and recreational uses. Property improvements in this district are subject to development standards as set forth in the zoning ordinance including building setbacks, landscaping, architectural standards, sidewalk construction, parking, storm water treatment, etc. The subject properties are located on the south side of Pathfinder Lane and approximately 100 ft east of the Walter Ashe Road/Path Finder Lane intersection. These properties total 0.70 acres in land area with one existing residential dwelling and a vacant property. Access to these properties is from the public right-of-way of Walter Ashe Road (S.R. 1352) and the private access of Path Finder Lane. These properties are adjacent to properties to the east and north that are in the GB District and are not located within the 100-year flood plain. These properties are or can be served by Tuckaseigee Water & Sewer Authority for public utilities. Application Response: The applicant is requesting that the existing Town of Sylva Zoning Map be amended to designate these two properties (0.70 acres total) to the General Business District. Staff Findings: The requested map amendment would not constitute “spot zoning” as the properties to the east and north are zoned GB District. The Town’s adopted Land Use Plan for 2040 establishes that these properties will be in the future Urban Neighborhood District. The encouraged land uses for this future district include primarily residential: small lot single family, townhome residential, two-, three- or four-family units, and multifamily; civic and educational uses that support community residents, Planning Board Meeting February 27, 2025 live-work units, small scale in-home businesses and small scale public open space (e.g. active pocket parks, passive open space, greenways). However, if the map amendment request is approved, these properties will be in the future Community Corridors District with encouraged land uses for this district being mixed-use buildings, institutional uses, walkable neighborhood commercial (retail, office, personal services), large scale commercial, business centers, community services and civic/educational services. In addition, this requested map amendment will create available property and opportunity in the GB District that may be needed to serve the community during/after the proposed Highway 107 improvement project. Being no further discussion, Geoffrey Hirsch made a motion to approve the map amendment request. Kendall Waldrop seconded the motion, and the motion carried with a unanimous vote. Melissa Madrona read the statement of consistency for the application. Kendall Waldrop made a motion to approve the statement of consistency, Geoffrey Hirsch seconded the motion, and the motion carried with a unanimous vote. ADJOURNMENT: Kendall Waldrop made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:06 a.m., Geoffrey Hirsch seconded the motion and the motion carried with a unanimous vote. _____________________________________ _________________________________________ Melissa Madrona Amanda W. Murajda Chairman Town Clerk