Troy public hearing for rezoning for mobile home park

As published in the Courier-Tribune on June 15, 2014

By Hugh Martin
biscoewriter@yahoo.com

TROY – Montgomery County commissioners have scheduled a public hearing for Tuesday, June 17, to consider the rezoning of nearly 55 acres of property for the purpose of constructing a mobile home park.

The property is on U.S. 220 Alternate, just north of the Candor city limits. The southern border is Candor-Troy Road; Small Road borders to the north.

Earlier this month, Candor commissioners approved a resolution to relinquish ETJ zoning jurisdiction for a portion of this property to Montgomery County for the project. The land is currently zoned for industrial use.

The request to rezone the property was made by Mary H. Ballard of Pinehurst, who represents the property owners, Ewing Family LLC of Sebastian, Fla. The property was rezoned industrial in 2008 for the purpose of constructing a biofuel manufacturing and distribution operation.

The earlier rezoning was hotly contested and approved over the objections of neighboring property owners. The biofuel project never materialized.

In the application to rezone the property to Residential R-3, Ballard states, “There is a need for affordable small acreage size tracts for residential purposes in the Candor area.”

If rezoning is approved, the property would be used to locate both single- and double-wide mobile homes on individual lots. A mobile home park is located on adjacent property, across Small Road. Individual mobile homes are located on adjacent properties to the east and south.

County water is available to the site, but there is no sewer. Access to the site would be either from Small Road or Candor-Troy Road. Aberdeen Carolina and Western Railroad owns a 100-foot right-of-way along U.S. 220 Alternate.

The hearing will take place during the regular commissioners’ meeting beginning at 6 p.m. in the Board of Commissioners Assembly Room at 102 East Spring St. in Troy.