news-record.com

HIGH POINT — George Ragsdale of Jamestown withdrew his request to rezone
property on East Kivett Drive after the High Point City Council voted 5-4 to
approve the rezoning with a condition that requires him to remove gravel and
plant grass on part of the land that sits in the state’s right-of-way.

Voting against the motion were Lisa Stahlmann , John Faircloth , Bernita
Simms and Mayor Becky Smothers.

Although Councilman Ron Wilkins had left the meeting prior to the vote, he
did not ask to be excused so his vote was counted in the affirmative.

Ragsdale was requesting to rezone 0.98 acres from light industrial to
conditional use highway business after learning his tenant’s business, Carolina
Bingo, is not allowed under current zoning.

The property’s access is a gravel lot that opens onto Kivett Drive. There is
not a main designated driveway, something the city staff is requesting
changed.

Ragsdale said he would create a planting bed on his property and limit access
via a driveway, but would not remove gravel and create a grass area in a 30-foot
right-of-way . "I’m not in the business of maintaining state property," he
said.

The staff wanted gravel removed from the right-of-way and grass planted to
deter illegal parking or driving on that part of the property.

Not wanting to bear the expense of grassing the 30-foot right-of-way,
Ragsdale asked to withdraw the rezoning, to which the council agreed. Ragsdale
said he would find another location for his tenant and rent out the facility to
another business.

The city planning and zoning commission recommended Ragsdale’s request to the
council without the staff’s condition of the right-of-way development.

In other business, the council:
• approved bids for $111,740 to Moser
Mayer Phoenix-Moyer Associates to conduct a police department needs analysis;
$575,000 jointly to Thompson Arthur Division of APAC Atlantic and Sharpe Hot Mix
for asphalt city wide; $100,000 to Martin Marietta for stone city wide;
$104,011 to Childers Concrete and $99,602 to Chandler Concrete for concrete
city wide; and $122,355 to Siemens for nine single voltage regulators to replace
parts destroyed by a fire at the Burton substation

• approved condemnation proceedings of property owned by Full Armour
Christian Center at 2000 Priya St., Thomasville, and Southtrust Financial at
1600 Burton Road, Thomasville. The properties will be used for the Kool Pool
outfall improvements.

• approved 7-1 abandoning a partially improved right-of-way known as Union
Hill Court, between Triangle Lake Road and Central Avenue. Councilman Bill
Bencini voted against abandonment.

• approved $1.5 million to buy the Piedmont Natural Gas building, 136
Northpoint Ave.

• heard Cathy Poole of Squire Davis Road, Kernersville, talk about how
residents are still frustrated with their lack of input into the Heart of the
Triad regional plan

• heard John Blackard , 209 Buttercup Drive, Jamestown, request that more
trees be cut down around his property. City staff hasn’t agreed to cut down all
the trees the resident says could fall on his home. Staff agreed to take another
look at the trees in question.

Contact E.A. Seagraves at 883-4422, Ext. 241; or elizabeth.seagraves@news-record.com