NEWS in brief
Zoning Board member spars with Mayor Barnes, O’Day by CHRIS BURRITT SUMMERFIELD – After publicly criticizing plans for Summerfield’s new town hall, alternate Zoning Board member Ryan Moats drew a rebuke from Mayor BJ Barnes and Councilman John O’Day. Moats fired back, sticking by his assertion that Summerfield doesn’t need a new $3.5 million town hall to conduct its business professionally. “Just because you’ve got a dollar in your pocket doesn’t mean you need to spend it,” Moats said during the Zoning Board’s meeting Jan. 25. It conducted a public hearing to gather feedback about the town’s request to rezone 13.4 acres along U.S. 220 for the new town hall.
The board voted 3-2 against recommending that the council rezone the property. Voting with the majority, Moats questioned whether the town had tried hard enough amid COVID-19 restrictions to inform the public about the rezoning request, even though town staff followed notification procedures. During the Feb. 9 meeting of the Town Council, Barnes and O’Day said an expression of personal opinions by the Zoning Board member was inappropriate. If the applicant for the rezoning were a private developer – instead of the town – the developer could sue the town if the rezoning request were denied, according to O’Day. “This can’t happen during a public
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hearing,” O’Day said. “That kind of mistake can’t be made.”
Barnes added that “personal bias has no place in these meetings. We’re going to get in a situation where we are going to get sued.” In an interview earlier this week, Moats was unapologetic. He said he understands that committee members aren’t supposed to express personal
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“I didn’t make these comments to a private developer,” Moats said. “I was speaking to the town.” The Zoning Board meets in the current Town Hall and the Summerfield Community Center, where Moats said the board has conducted itself professionally despite the outdated surroundings. “Yes, I know the community center isn’t very lavish,” Moats said, “but in my opinion professionalism is a state of mind, not a fancy building.”
Oak Ridge council earmarks $855,000 for Whitaker property by CHRIS BURRITT
OAK RIDGE – Oak Ridge Town Council plans to spend $855,000 next fiscal year on improvements to begin turning the Whitaker property into an extension of Town Park.
forward in pretty much the same way whether we get the PARTF grant or not,” Mayor Ann Schneider told the council during the CIP work session. Council member Martha Pittman recommended the town commit to the three projects to lay the groundwork for future projects.
The council voted unanimously during a special called meeting last The CIP calls for the construction Wednesday, Feb. 10, to spend on three of two lighted multi-purpose fields and projects during the fiscal year starting trails during the fiscal year starting July 1, as part of the town’s five-year July 1, 2022, at an estimated cost of capital improvement plan (CIP). It plans 8004 Linville Road, Suite E-3, Oak Ridge $800,000. to grade and install utilities on the 58-acre Whitaker property that abuts The plan also envisions a 1.2-mile barbourwilliams.com Town Hall on Linville Road while contrail circling the Whitaker property, with structing restrooms and a parking lot. a playground, picnic shelters, tennis courts, a basketball court and a veterThe council delayed those projects ans memorial to be built over the next from the current fiscal year after it four years. learned last September the town was not awarded a $450,000 matching Oak Ridge faces a May 3 deadline grant from the North Carolina Parks to apply for the PARTF grant. The town and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF). is pursuing the same projects in the new
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The council decided last fall to apply for the grant again this year, while moving ahead with site planning and design for the Whitaker property improvements. The preparation will enable town staff to seek bids for the work this Tracy Williams, attorney fall, regardless of whether the town receives the grant. “My gut feeling is that we move
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application, which also contains letters of support from local civic groups, Town Manager Bill Bruce said. Even though Oak Ridge’s earlier application noted the support of several organizations, town staff wasn’t able to obtain letters because the groups’ boards didn’t meet due to COVID-19 public gathering restrictions.
