July 10 - 16, 2015
Town of Oak Ridge vs. CrossFit Oak Ridge
Town instructs CrossFit to vacate its facility on Linville Road until it complies with ordinances by PATTI STOKES
OAK RIDGE – Never in Oak Ridge’s 17 years of incorporation has its relationship with a business been more contentious than the one it has with CMT Commons/ Mustang Fitness, operator of CrossFit, which constructed a 12,350-squarefoot, single-story, “barn-type building” in 2012 for a multipurpose sports training facility. Though Oak Ridge Town Hall and CrossFit are next door neighbors on
Linville Road, in perspectives the local government and business couldn’t be much further apart. Since the sports facility was built, numerous informal meetings with CMT Commons’ representatives and the town’s staff and attorney, rezoning and site plan review hearings before the town’s Planning and Zoning Board, multiple appearances before the town’s Historic Preservation Commission at regularly scheduled and special called meetings, hearings before the town’s Board of Adjustment, and hearings before a Guilford County Superior Court judge have only served to deepen the rift between the two entities. On June 24, the town sent a letter
Photo by Gerri Hunt/NWO
CrossFit Oak Ridge received a letter dated June 24 notifying the business that it must vacate the building it occupies on Linville Road, which is adjacent to Oak Ridge Town Hall, until it comes in compliance with the town’s Code of Ordinances.
to CMT Commons notifying the corporation that CrossFit is occupying the building at 8309 Linville Road in violation of the town’s ordinances, that civil penalties for the violation are accruing on a daily basis, and the town plans to take immediate enforcement measures to ensure compliance with its Code of Ordinances. To avoid enforcement procedures, the letter stated CrossFit must immediately
Attorney advises council to ditch inspections Politicians not insured, qualified to deem water lines and meter boxes are properly installed by GERRI HUNT STOKESDALE – During a special-called meeting of the Stokesdale Town Council on June 25 to discuss mainly water system issues, town attorney William Trevorrow was taken aback when he realized council members were inspecting water line installations. “So council people are going to go out and inspect the installation of meters? To make sure they’re installed correctly? Did I hear that right?” asked Trevorrow.
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Photo by Gerri Hunt/NWO
Stokesdale Town Clerk Carolyn Joyner (left) takes notes as Mayor Randy Braswell (second from left) talks to council members Bill Jones and Vicki WhiteLawrence about council members acting as water line inspectors, during a workshop on June 18.
vacate the building and bring it into compliance with the conditionally approved COA (Certificate of Appropriateness) granted by the town’s Historic Preservation Commission in October 2012. The letter included eight bullet
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