Roseboro events center nixed

Roseboro officials put the brakes on a rezoning proposal that would have brought an event center into the town after members voted 3-2 Tuesday night to deny the request.

The topic of the proposed center was revisited from the June meeting when town officials tabled their vote to rezone a vacant property at 406 S. East St. that once housed Denny Plywood. Vocal concerns from area residents during initial talks brought about members decision to revisit the issue in July.

The concerns did not die down.

Those concerns — over safety, crime and noise, among other issues — were made to Clinton’s Inkspot Designs owner Heidy Luna, who spoke in June as the representative for the project. Luna was unable to answer many of those inquires then since planning for the center was in its infancy.

At least part of the reason for the tabled decision in June was to give Luna and team time to build a more solid plan to address residents’ concerns, and she brought that plan, and those answers, with her Tuesday to a packed town hall.

During Luna’s presentation, she passed around a flyer with information about the planned All Occasion Venue.

After planned renovations, the space would be opened as a place to host weddings and showers, rehearsal dinners, birthdays, engagement parties, meetings and other similar events.

“I know last month there was a lot of questions that we couldn’t answer since we were still early on with planning,” Luna told the board. “ I think we’re better prepared this time. The venue would be able to host gatherings from as little as 20 of your loved ones to bigger events with up to 200 guests. The venue will be available seven days a week and it will be open between the hours of 10 a.m. to 10:45 p.m.”

Her presentation also addressed the biggest fear of residents from the June meeting — safety and protection.

“I know last time there was a lot concern about safety,” Luna acknowledged. “We have talked with the local Sheriff’s Office and they’ve agreed to allow us to hire off-duty officers for the venue. With that, we will have either security guards or Sheriff’s deputies present and on the premises of every event.”

Luna’ responses, however, did little to subside the concerns residents had, nor did it seem to change the mind of those who simply didn’t want such a venue in their town and neighborhood.

Repeated complaints about the potential for noise were brought up again as discussion centered around the fact that the proposed lot was surrounded by churches. The fact that plans were to operate seven days a week were also deemed highly unacceptable by residents. Concerns over the inability to control and maintain traffic coming in and out of the area was also mentioned again.

Luna said the building sits on six acres, is completely fenced in and that each client who booked an event would be required to have all cars coming to an event inside the fenced area. Even that didn’t puts resident worries to rest, and the common agreement among them was that Roseboro was not adequately equipped to protect citizens from all the potential negatives that could come with an event center.

“My concerns are in line with all the others here tonight over the potential traffic, security, loud noise and even sleep disruption this presents, should the center be allowed,” resident Lavern Crumpler said during public comments. “I believe Roseboro is ill equipped, nor can it manage, to provide us in that area complete protection from traffic dangers, such as drunk drivers, and other related incidents that could occur. Not just from people that would come to use the center but from passersby that may see an event happening and then wish to do harm.

“Also the area that this event center is planning to come to is in a predominantly black neighbor and the churches and residents living there have been there for decades. None of them have come before this board asking for this event center, and so to vote for it against their wishes would be disrespectful.”

Those views were echoed by another resident, Gilbert Owens, who was also assigned the task of voicing public comments before the board’s vote.

“As we talk about Roseboro a lot of us that spoke tonight were born and raised here,” Owens told the board. “With that said, I ask the board, who in Roseboro does this event center benefit? I say that as I didn’t see a demand for one nor the wanting of one as the citizens are not calling for it.

“I don’t see the need for one as well because if people want a place to hold events like those that would be at this center, there’s plenty of other places around Roseboro for it. I mean, we have one here already called the Rich Farm & Venue and there’s been times when the churches in that area have opened their doors to host events.”

Owens didn’t just speak against the event center, he also brought a petition, offering it as another means of swaying the board’s opinion.

“I would also like to present this to the board,” Owens said as he passed around the document. “This here is a petition signed by residents living next to and around the property; it’s not all of them but most of them. With those names are also members from the surrounding churches. Not only that, but if you look closely you will see that it was also signed by the chairman of the planning board.”

Roseboro Mayor Alice Butler raised her own concern about Owens’ comment about the planning chairman since it was stated during the June meeting that the planning board 100 percent voted in favor of allowing the event center. It was clarified by Tammy Faircloth, deputy Utility and Zoning clerk, that the chairman, Tim Butler, was not present at the time the vote was made.

“So,in closing, I leave with this,” Owens stressed. “The townsfolk are not calling for this event center so let’s work to preserve this area the way the residents want it. Finally, when you’re thinking about your vote, remember as you look at that petition, that approving the event center means you’re voting against the citizens of Roseboro.”

The decision was then left in the board’s hands, with Butler asking, “What’s your pleasure?”

“I’ve got nothing against them and I don’t have a problem with them coming but I just don’t see how we can approve this when so many have signed this petition,” Commissioner Ray Clark said. “I would be happy to have it, sure, but with this much push back from the town residents, I mean, we can’t overlook that and have to do what’s best for them. So again, I just don’t see how we can approve it — that’s my opinion on the matter anyway.”

With that Butler asked Clark if that meant he was putting forth the motion not to allow the rezoning request; his response, yes.

After a few silent moments of pondering, the board voted with commissioners Richard Barefoot and Mark Gupton siding with Clark in favor of nixing the request. Mayor Pro Tem Anthony Bennett and commissioner Cyndi Templin cast the dissenting votes. The 3-2 vote meant the rezoning was denied.

After the vote, town residents in attendance let out a resounding and loud “Praise the Lord!”