News

County rezones 28 acres in Edneyville

By Bill Moss, Published: November 5, 2012

Henderson County commissioners on Monday approved the rezoning of 28 acres on U.S. 64 at Gilliam Road in Edneyville from commercial to residential.

The change to R2R will reduce the number of dwellings the property owner could build but would allow mobile homes and other forms of manufactured housing at a density of one per acre. The previous Local Commercial zoning allowed four dwellings per acre but barred manufactured housing.
One resident who owns adjoining property, Barbara Hora, asked commissioners what kind of development would be going on the land. County attorney Russ Burrell responded that commissioners are not allowed to consider a specific use but must base their decision as policy to allow all permitted uses.
The property, which is west of Turf Mountain Sod, contains Chimney Rock Mini-Storage and the home of the property owner, Jarrett Mitchem.
After another rezoning case, the Board of Commissioners heard from a well-known activist who many times in the past has opposed rezoning that allow more intensive uses. In this case, Eva Ritchey was the applicant for a change from residential to office use on U.S. 64 west of Laurel Park. The board approved her request to rezone her property on U.S. 64 from residential to Office-Institutional. The property fronting U.S. 64 west of her house had already been zoned O-I.
"You don't hear this from me a lot but I thought I would come up and thank you," Ritchey said.
Commissioner Charlie Messer asked planners why the land to the east of Ritchey's house had not been included in the rezoning request. County Planning Director Anthony Starr said the property owner, Jim Durfee, has now applied for O-I zoning as well.