The motion continuing the public hearing a second time, according to City Attorney Gilbert Chichester, gives council another opportunity to ask additional questions on the matter.
The indication council would possibly reject the rezoning came when it voted against Councilman Carl Ferebee's motion to approve the statement of consistency, a decision which determines whether the panel believes the proposal is a fit with the city's comprehensive land use plan. The four other council members voted against Ferebee's motion.
Following that vote, Councilwoman Suetta Scarbrough offered a motion in which the matter would not be brought up again until a time it is clearly known what business or industry would be locating on the land.
There was never a second on Scarbrough's motion and instead Ferebee agreed to rescind his initial motion and have the matter continued until the February 2 meeting at 5:15 p.m. in the Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall on Jackson Street.
The overwhelming consensus of the council members voting against the statement of consistency centered on unknown factors which included not having an idea what the owner of the land, Gil Cunningham, wants to see happen with the more than 80 acres off Wallace Fork Road.
“I'm a little bit concerned Mr. Cunningham has not been to the planning board meeting or city council meeting,” Councilman Wayne Smith said.
Smith said while some questions about the proposal were answered, he was still not satisfied with some of the answers given.
He said there seems to be divided answers on whether the rezoning will affect the potential sale of the theater — S.L. Nusbaum, the firm facilitating the potential sale, emailing him and advising council “to be careful on what we do,” and the comments the firm gave to Heaton Real Estate, which is listing the land for Cunningham.
“After a conversation with the real estate company that listed the theater for sell, I was told that is not a concern and they envision the sale of the property not as a theater, but as a church, convention center, or other use,” Ellen Heaton told council this evening
Addressing concerns registered by Councilman Ernest Bobbitt, Heaton said she is pitching the land to companies similar to those on Highway 903 such as PCB and Reser's.
She said both herself and Cathy Scott, director of the Halifax Economic Development Commission, who also spoke at the meeting, shared the same vision for the land, which has easy access to Interstate 95, and the potential to bring jobs within the city limits and add to its tax base. “We're looking for its best and highest use,” Heaton said.
Heaton said during the public hearing on the matter, “In real estate there are several known tenets — location, location, location and what is a property’s highest and best use. The owners of the site in question are looking for the opportunity to explore the property’s highest and best use.
“The highest and best use if rezoned, could provide jobs and a tax base to an area that needs it. To address comments I have heard repeated, the owners have been approached and have rejected the site for the use of a solar farm.”
Scott said the asking price for the land is $1.2 million. “What you want for the land is what we want for the land.”
