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Preview: May 6 Oak Ridge Town Council meeting

by CHRIS BURRITT

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possible site is the vicinity of N.C. 68 and OAK RIDGE – Oak Ridge Town Council will consider conducting a study to determine the feasibility of installing water tanks and hydrants for fighting fires. N.C. 150 (Oak Ridge Road). Or groundlevel or buried tanks and hydrants may be placed in various locations around town. Town Manager Bill Bruce The scope of work would recommended the coun- also evaluate possible cil approve the proposed sources of water, Bruce scope of work for a fire said. They include suppression system, ground water or water based upon recent dis- purchased from the cussions between the city of Winston-Salem, town’s Water Advisory assuming that water Committee and Oak Ridge lines were extended to Fire Chief Ken Gibson. Oak Ridge along N.C. 150 “The system may include land or Haw River Road. acquisition, well drilling/wellhead con- In other business, the council will construction, and engineering and construc- sider adopting a resolution urging state tion of a storage facility for fire depart- legislators to vote against two bills givment access,” Bruce told the council in ing the General Assembly authority over an April 30 memo. local zoning and land use planning. Exploring the system is one option for Specifically, one of the bills would the expenditure of $1.1 million that the require local governments to include resistate General Assembly gave Oak Ridge dential duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes for water-related projects. Last year, Oak and townhouses in areas zoned for Ridge, Summerfield and Stokesdale residential use, according to the resolueach got $1.1 million from $3.3 million tion. The resolution lays out Oak Ridge’s left unspent on a feasibility study of a objection, stating the town’s zoning ordiregional water system for northwestern nance and future land use plan “allow for Guilford County. Citing costs, the towns a diversity of housing types and lot sizes” didn’t proceed with the regional system. and that the legislature’s “one size fits The Water Advisory Committee mod- all” approach undermines local authority eled its proposed scope of work for a fire over issues of land use. suppression system on a similar study The second bill would require that that the Wooten Co., a consulting firm, all local ordinances regulating the prepared for the town of Summerfield in removal of trees be permitted only with 2016 and updated in 2020. the express authorization of the General If Oak Ridge’s council approves the Assembly. scope of work, town and fire department The resolution states the Oak Ridge leaders would explore the effectiveness Town Council, the Planning and Zonand costs of placing tanks and hydrants ing Board and the Historic Preservation for filling tanker trucks in various loca- Commission value trees. As a result, the tions around Oak Ridge. council believes “any state legislation Putting an elevated tank and restricting local tree ordinances will damhydrants on the fire department’s prop- age local efforts to preserve our rural The Northwest Observer • Totally local since 1996 erty on Linville Road at Scoggins Road is a possibility, according to Bruce. Another and historic character, hamper economic development and lower residents’ quality

of life,” the resolution said.

Separately, the council will also consider approving a new park name for the Whitaker property on Linville Road. It will also receive a presentation of the town’s draft budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.

The council also plans to honor Stewart Chipman, 14, for being awarded Old North State Council’s Eagle Scout Project of the Year for an eight-county area. For his project, Chipman led the design and construction of the flag retirement center in Town Park.

The council will consider reappointing Jason Streck to the Planning and Zoning Board and appointing Pat Fiorentino, who currently serves as an alternate, as a full member of the board. want to participate?

In-person attendance at Thursday’s meeting will be limited due to COVID-19 public gathering restrictions. For information about viewing the meeting on the town’s YouTube channel and submitting comments, visit www.oakridgenc.com. Instructions can be viewed on the homepage and on the meeting agenda posted on the Town Council tab on the homepage.

Town determines 1907 house is a public nuisance

by CHRIS BURRITT

SUMMERFIELD – The owner of a house in Summerfield’s historic district recently received notification that the deteriorating, cluttered condition of the property puts it in violation of the town’s public nuisance ordinance.

A courtesy notice was mailed to the owner April 19 after the town’s code enforcement officer had inspected the property at 7716 Summerfield Road, Chris York, Summerfield’s planning manager, said in an email earlier this week.

The town received a complaint about the condition of the house several days earlier, prompting the inspection, York said. As the town prepared to inspect the property, the office of Rep. Jon Hardister (R-District 59) forwarded an email from the same person who had complained to the town about the property.

“An element of the complaint sent to the representative’s o ce seemed to be dissatisfaction with the town that it hadn’t abated the issue in the few days since receiving the complaint,” York said.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding among some citizens that the town can immediately remedy a violation,” he said. “That is not so; state law requires procedural due process and to allow landowners an opportunity to remedy the matter.”

Northwest Observer also published a portion of the complaint as a reader’s “gripe” in the April 29-May 5 issue.

Built in 1907, the two-story house with white siding is owned by Lida A. Dozier of Saluda, North Carolina, according to Guilford County property records. It appears to be unoccupied. Earlier this week, no one answered a knock at the door.

Summerfield mailed the courtesy notice as the first step in initiating the enforcement process to remedy the violation of the public nuisance ordinance.

“The town gives a reasonable amount of time, usually 30 days, to fix the problem first with a courtesy notice,” York said. If the violation isn’t corrected within the courtesy period, the town can issue a notice of violation, he said.

If the violation isn’t remedied, the town can begin abatement proceedings, which include seeking a court order against the property owner, ...continued on p. 23

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