Bakery Lane property won't be rezoned, for now

The Statesville Planning Board unanimously voted against recommending a 1.58-acre property on Bakery Lane be rezoned.

The rezoning request, by developer and property owner Howard Bryan, was met with heavy criticism from neighbors who said potential traffic would adversely affect their quality of life.

Bryan wants the property to be rezoned from highway business to light industrial. He said the rezoning would make the property more attractive to prospective buyers. Light industrial zoning allows for certain kinds of manufacturing, warehouses and storage units.

Although the planning board did not recommend rezoning, the Statesville City Council could still weigh in on the matter during its Sept. 19 meeting, said Senior Planner Andrew Ventresca.

“But if the item is not on their agenda, that means (the rezoning request) has been dismissed,” he added.

Bakery Lane is currently an undeveloped, state-maintained road. Residents have raised both health and safety concerns over the road being potentially used to develop and service Bryan's parcel of land.

David Treventi, a neighborhood resident and owner of several properties around Bakery Lane, spoke against the rezoning. He was accompanied by about 30 supporters.

“We just want to keep the neighborhood safe,” Treventi said. “This is not fair for the people of Bakery Lane.”

Bryan, a former city councilman, spoke for an hour in support of the rezoning, presenting photographs, maps and reasoning as to why he needed to use Bakery Lane to access the property.

“Bakery Lane has been a road for almost 80 years,” he said. “And it’s been used for those 80 years to access several properties back there.”

Bryan also owns a 5.3-acre property, zoned light industrial, adjacent to the 1.58-acre parcel he requested to rezone.

Planning board members asked Bryan if it would be possible to combine the two properties. That would mean Bryan could access the land from nearby Delray Street. Bryan agreed it could be an option for his property, but finding a company that would want to purchase the two lots would be difficult.

Bryan said the use of the 1.58-acre property would be for something similar to a warehouse, and traffic would be minimal.

Should the Statesville City Council review and decide against the rezoning request, Bryan would not be able to reapply for the property’s rezoning for another two years, Ventresca said.

“But a conditional rezoning request could be considered,” he added.

That means for the property to be rezoned, Bryan would have limitations for its use, access and design.