July 24 - 30, 2015
bringing the local news home to northwest Guilford County since 1996
Brown, McClellan vie for Summerfield mayor’s seat Sessoms not seeking re-election
Mayor Tim Sessoms will step down later this year when his two-year term expires, and former mayor Mark Brown and current Councilwoman Elizabeth McClellan each hopes to be his successor. Sessoms, who said in late June that he would run for a second two-year
Town’s historic district called into question Historic Preservation Commission has exceeded its authority, agrees Rep. Mark Brody from Union County
by GERRI HUNT SUMMERFIELD – In a surprising turn of events, the slate Sessoms of candidates for Summerfield’s mayor is not what many expected.
www.nwobserver.com
by GERRI HUNT McClellan
Brown
term, made his decision to not run again on Friday, July 17 – the last day to file for candidacy. “It’s something I prayed about, I talked to my family about, and I talked to my business partners about, and it’s the best decision for me and my family,” said Sessoms. “It’s one of the
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4 churches, 1 mission Youth unite for Operation 336 Photo by Gerri Hunt/NWO
Mya Joyner, Seth Joyner, McKenzie Roach and other teens paint a section of an old barn on property owned by the Town of Summerfield. It’s just one of many service projects they did together across the area during an activity dubbed “Operation 336.”
...see story on p. 14
OAK RIDGE and RALEIGH – It’s not as if issues weren’t complicated enough. Dating back to October 2012, Oak Ridge’s Historic Preservation Commission has repeatedly maintained that CrossFit Oak Ridge, which is next door to Town Hall on Linville Road, is still not in full compliance with the town’s historic district guidelines and the two parties have batted the compliance issues back and forth during over 27 formal meetings, several informal meetings, and in and out of courtrooms. Town representatives say the battle has cost taxpayers over $80,000 in legal fees alone, not to mention staff and volunteer time and frustration. Still, CrossFit continues to conduct business in a building without a Certificate of Occupancy and the town says the fitness facility needs to either bring the building into compliance or vacate it. Adding one more complication to the mix, a state representative from southeast of Charlotte is now sponsoring legislation regarding historic districts while pointing a finger directly at Oak Ridge. North Carolina Rep. Mark Brody (R-Union) says he was contacted in
the summer of 2014 by Mark Smith, co-owner of CrossFit Oak Ridge, who was seeking help with his “battle with the Town of Oak Ridge” and felt the Oak Ridge Historic Preservation Commission “was exceeding its authority on features of the building.” This past April, Brody proposed a bill titled “Zoning/Changes to Historic Preservation Procedures” (HB 799). The bill was born from two ideas, the first being that someone wanting to build within the historic district may not know the district’s requirements in advance. The second idea addresses how to resolve conflicts that arise from that lack of knowledge, or from a different interpretation of the requirements.
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IN THIS ISSUE News in brief......................... 3 Your Questions ..................... 4 Bits & Pieces ......................... 7 Summerfield Town Council . 8 Community Calendar ........ 11 Crime/Incident Report .......15 Letters/Opinions .................16 Grins & Gripes .....................17 Classifieds ...........................19 Index of Advertisers ...........23 NWO on the go! ................. 24