By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — Compromise gave everyone a little bit of what they wanted and a few things they didn’t in the regular May meeting of Blowing Rock’s Board of Commissioners and Town Council. On a split vote with Mayor Charlie Sellers casting the deciding vote, a new development along Valley Boulevard, Arbor Village, was approved at the end of the Public Hearing.
The dramatic vote was setup when Commissioner David Harwood, a local architect, voluntarily asked to be recused from the quasi-judicial proceeding because he has current and previous business dealings with the developer, Cash Custom Homes, LLC, whose principal is Josh Cash.
After more than an hour of listening to Planning Department liason Brian Johnson and representatives of the developer, including Cash, outline the project features and hear concerns voiced by Fred Berry, representing the neighboring Hartley family property on the south side, the sitting commissioners split their vote, 2-2, with Kat Perry and Pete Gherini voting no while Doug Matheson and Melissa Pickett supported the project. That put the fate of the proposed development in Sellers’ hands to break the tie as mayor and he voted in favor of the project.
One of the most contentious waiver requests by the developer was to apply a density standard of six units per acre instead of the five per acre stipulated in the Land Use Code. That allows them to build an even number of duplexes or townhomes, eight, on the 1.367 acre-parcel instead of the seven normally stipulated by the Land Use Code. In addition, adding the eighth 3-bedroom duplex, per the Code, stipulates that the developer must provide another three parking spaces.
A second waiver request related to the retaining walls primarily serving the back side of the project, near Main Street. Because of the topographical characteristics of Valley Boulevard being a significant elevation above North Main Street across from the entrance to Chetola Resort and the project fronting Valley Boulevard, the retaining walls at the rear of the project must be significantly higher than the Land Use Code’s maximum height of 12 feet. To “soften” the visual, the developer proposes a tiered retaining wall so that no tier is greater than 12 feet and to plant vegetation between each tier.
The neighboring property owners, represented by Berry, expressed two primary concerns. First, that there be ample screening between the two properties but also the fact that in order to satisfy the parking requirements, the developer was proposing an 8-space parking lot on the lower side of the property, along Main Street.
The added parking requirement is problematic, suggested Berry, because the driveway to their property would go through the parking lot and, he offered, would attract all manner of people they don’t know parking there, posing a safety concern, as well as add to congestion along Main Street.
As a compromise, the motion advanced by Commissioner Matheson allowed for the eight duplexes but eliminated the lower level parking requirement, overriding the town’s normal requirements.
The developer indicated during his testimony that the business purpose of the development was to offer short-term rentals within walking distance of downtown.
In other business, the Council opened the meeting by swearing in the “new” town manager, Shane Fox. In their respective personal reports, each member of the board and the mayor welcomed Mr. Fox back to the position after almost a year away and thanked Interim Town Manager Kevin Rothrock for his work and guidance. Fox reported that his return and transition period has been seamless, thanking both the Town Council members as well as the town’s staff.
