LAURINBURG — The City Council held its first meeting in the new council chambers and voted to rezone two pieces of property on Gulf Street from residential to business Tuesday evening.

The council originally held a public hearing on the two parcels of land in April, but wanted more information on if there could be a conditional-use permit put on the property to allow for more control over what type of business could be put there. The larger piece of the 1.5-acre property was requested to be rezoned from residential to general business, while the other smaller piece was requested to be rezoned from industrial to general business.

The land is owned by Robert Cooper, who has owned gas and fueling stations in Laurinburg, and the lot in question has had a business operating on it. Cooper is now trying to sell the property and, according to his representative and real estate agent, Susan Covington, it would be a more attractive sell if it was zoned general business.

The land was unanimously approved for the rezoning by the city’s planning and zoning board.

During the April meeting, there were several members of the community who live in the area who came to voice their concern of a business going up due to street size, parking, traffic and not knowing what would be going on the property. However, they were not present for the May meeting.

Zoning and Code Enforcement Officer Mac McInnis told the council that, by keeping the land residential, there are not any conditional-use permits that would allow for a business to go on the property.

Covington shared that, when she was the director of Habitat for Humanity, the organization, along with the city, had tried to begin a revitalization of the Newtown area in hopes of lowering violence and bringing in affordable housing. However, the issue that arose was that no one had wanted change and she asked that those in the neighborhood be open to change that might be good for the area.

“The place has been sitting idle for a long time,” Covington said. “This would give the opportunity for a small business owner or someone to start up a small business an affordable place … maybe they would employee five to 10 people and someone could in the neighborhood could actually walk to work.”

Mayor Matthew Block shared his concern about a convenience store arising, which he said tends to bring a lot of criminal activity. Councilmember Mary Evans agreed with Block and said the neighborhood is very quiet and they don’t want something to come in and disturb it.

Councilmember Andrew Williamson, however, brought up that if zoned into general business it could be beneficial to the neighborhood.

“If someone does come in, they’re going to have to invest a considerable amount of money to make any kind of business work,” Williamson said. “Curbing and guttering, streetscape, I really could almost argue that that could almost jump-start a revitalization of Newtown.”

The zoning request was approved 4-1, with Evans casting the lone no vote.

Reach Katelin Gandee at 910-506-3171 or at [email protected]

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Katelin Gandee

Staff writer