Residents’ concerns lead to tabling of event center request; will be revisited in July

ROSEBORO — A proposal to bring a new event center to Roseboro was tabled amid tension and residents’ concerns over what they called the potential negatives it could bring.

The proposed event center was introduced during Tuesday’s Roseboro town board meeting, a proposal introduced by Clinton’s Inkspot Designs owner Heidy Luna. As part of those talks, Luna came before the board to request the rezoning of 406 S. East St. for that purpose.

“This property is the old Denny Plywood site,” Tammy Faircloth, deputy Utility and Zoning clerk, said during the meeting. “Most of the area is fenced in and there are some old metal buildings there and a little house which serves as an office. The owner is Peter Bryant, and along with Mrs. Heidy Luna, they ask this property to be rezoned. It’s currently zoned as industrial and they’re requesting this property be rezoned to thoroughfare business in which they may change it into a venue or event center in the future.”

Luna’s idea is to change that space into a venue to host events such as wedding, birthday-graduation parties, family fun events and other related occasions; hopefully fulfilling the void for an event center which is missing in the town.

Faircloth told the town commissioners that the Planning Board had already met and gave its nod to move forward with the event center should the town board chose to approve it.

Before any voted could be taken, however, a public hearing was held to allow town residents to voice concerns. There was an abundance that night.

Most concerns were raised about the potential negative impacts of rezoning a residential area for the venue/event center. The repeated concerns raised included increased traffic, noise and disturbance. Many speakers also expressed worries about the potential for increased alcohol and/or drug use, as well as violence, that could be brought on by such a venue.

“My concerns are that any kind of gathering, such as weddings, parties, etc, which would go on at an event center, would annoy, disturb and probably frighten our neighbors,” one resident said. “There’s also three churches near this property where you propose to have this venue. Weddings, class reunions, or any kind of social gathering tend to attract alcohol, drugs and violence. It’s a known fact that weddings and funerals tend to bring out and increase a lot of anger and negative feelings … they bring out the best and the worst in people.

“I am concerned since I own some property there, so I’d like to know what measures have been put in place to prohibit the noise and how would those measures be enforced? Already, you have the 18 wheelers coming through there and it’s distracting for people; it so bad they can’t sleep at night, these are my questions.”

Luna attempted to responded to each concern but was unable to give concrete solutions since, she said, they were still in the very beginning of the planning stages.

”So for measurements, we talked about it, we will hire either police enforcement or security but I can’t tell you more than that as this is just the beginning of it,” Luna stressed. “But that’s one of our plans, that we want to hire for each event whichever is needed, be it security or police enforcement.

“Again, this is just the beginning of planning, we’re still not very far, so I don’t have anything in writing to show you but we will address those topics that you just explained, about drugs, about fights and violence, we will have enforcement against that.

“I really can’t tell you more beyond that, honestly; I mean, we haven’t even started with the repairs yet. We have to block some areas as a part of this so I think this will help block noise. I cannot tell you exactly how, right now, as everything is being prepared and we still need to talk with contractors, which can tell us how to improve noise issues. I just honestly don’t have all the answers to your questions currently.”

Other major questions posed were whether or not the town had rules and regulations such as ordinances, bartender certifications, liability insurance, and so forth, in place to help answer the questions asked.

“There needs to be things set up if you’re going to have an event center, just like other facilities, we have to have certain things in place for the zoning,” another resident stated. “There has to be things in place for her to know step to step to step since she doesn’t have the answers because she hasn’t been in this kind of situation.

“So I‘d like to know are there different rules about event planning in place, or restrictions on alcohol at certain times? Are there noise ordinances in place or other related rules in place at this time, because that clarifies all the questions we’re asking. Plus it’ll help her as she would have it written out and know her guidelines to check off and what to tell her people.”

Mayor Alice Butler did note that they have ordinances in place for some of those issues such as noise, but she wasn’t certain on all of them.

“I think everybody’s looking at this in the bad way but they’re not seeing the good way,” Luna said. “We will have a place where we can do events, it can be private events, it can be public events, either way, we will follow the rules of the Town of Roseboro. I just want to make sure everyone knows that we can’t break any rules nor do we want to.

“We just want to have a place that you can be comfortable on pricing compared to other places around here and you don’t have to wait a year just to book your wedding, or other stuff like that. I’m sure there’s a lot of people who can benefit out of it. I just ask you for a little bit of grace and a little bit of patience as we go through this process which is new for us.”

As citizen concerns mounted, leading to a growing number unanswered questions, the board came to the consensus to table a vote and revisit the proposal at its next monthly meeting on July 9 so both they and Luna have time to draw up plans and gather answers to residents’ inquires.

“I think we need to get some clarifications before we move forward on any of this,” Commissioner Ray Clark Fisher said. “We need to find out what rules we’ve got in place to make sure they do what they said they’re doing, we can control that. Like it was said, that area is around a lot houses and churches so we’ve got to do right by them.

“Also, the last event center we had didn’t do well, so I’m not in a real big hurry to approve this with all these lingering question. I do agree, however, that we do need something like an event center here. But, that is a business district, so before we can change anything, a factory could go in there and make a lot of fuss and there’s not much you could do about it. At least this way, we’ve got a chance to make sure things are done right so we don’t have that.

”I think it’s a great thing and I know you can’t 100 percent guarantee there won’t be crime; there’s no way to do that wherever you’re at, even at church. But, we’ve got to make it as safe for the community as possible and to a point where it doesn’t bother residents in that area before we make a vote, that’s my opinion.”

Budget approval

Also Tuesday night, the board adopted the 2024-25 budget, which goes into effect on July 1.

Highlights from the budget are the now approved tax rate which is set at 46 cents per $100 valuation, a big decrease from the current 61 cent rate. Utility rates, however, will increase by 3 percent.

Under the current budget, those new figures for in-town water rates increase to $16.50 for 0 gallons; $18.55 for 1-1,000 gallons; $20.60 for 1001-2000 gallons; $23.15 for 2,001-3,000 gallons; and to $6.65 for 3,001 gallons and above (per thousand). The out-of-town water rates change to $38.60 for 0-3,000 gallons and $10.60 for 3,001 gallons and above (per thousand).

Sewer rates were also included in the hike making in-town go to $25.55 per 0 gallons; to $27.50 per 1-1,000 gallons; to $29.60 per 1,001-2,000 gallons; to $31.95 per 2,001-3,000 gallons; and to $7.75 per 3,001 gallons and above (per thousand). Out-of-town changes to $46.80 per 0-3,000 gallons and to $11.70 for 3,001 gallons and above (per thousand).

Much like last year’s budget, garbage fees will see a $1 increase, which Butler noted is meant to help the town break even with the increase from the GFL.

With the rate increase garbage collection rises to $13 per can for in-town, to $25 per can for out-of-town and to $24 per can for businesses. There were no changes to penalties which are 10 percent if not paid by the 15th and a $70 fee if not paid by 20th.

Butler also said during the May meeting that town employees will be given a 5% pay increase in this budget. The General Fund for 2024-25 is to be $1,808,479, the water fund $371,000, sewer fund $343,000 and the Small Town Main Street fund $104,000.