By Josh Bergeron 

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

CHINA GROVE — If Jeff Hall stands just right in the driveway of his southern Rowan home, he’ll be in two places at once.

The same is true in his garage and his barn.

Hall’s home on Eudy Road is split by the town limits of China Grove. Part of his house is in China Grove. The rest is outside of the town limits.

During Thursday’s China Grove Planning Board meeting, Hall sought to clear up part of the confusion associated with his home’s location. Hall requested two parcels of land — less than 1 acre — be rezoned from a use intended for offices to one that  allows houses. Hall said he intended to build another house for his son next to his own.

He said the strange property split and the accompanying zoning prevents him from building the new house.

Members of the planning board on Thursday saw the zoning as an anomaly and unanimously approved Hall’s request. It now heads to the China Grove Town Board who will need to approve the request before the rezoning becomes final.

The zoning is partially a result of an annexation battle between Landis and China Grove, planning board members said. In the 1990s, the two towns were battling over who could annex portions of Rowan near Kimball Road. The result was more land in China Grove. It also caused a wedge-sized piece of property owned by Hall to be part of China Grove. Meanwhile, the northern portion of his house was outside of the town.

“When this was annexed, I’m not sure this little sliver of property would’ve even shown up on a map,” said Planning Board Chairman Dave Morton.

Hall said he’s owned the property his house is on for more than 40 years. He acquired the other property later. However, it was before China Grove’s annexation, he said.

China Grove’s long-term, land-use plan advised against the rezoning approved Thursday, but planning board members saw it as a reasonable request. All properties immediate adjacent to Hall’s house are also residences.

“I really don’t see much wrong with it,” Morton said.

He and other planning board members said the rezoning would be correcting an anomaly.

In statements of reasonableness and consistency, which were required for the rezoning, planning board members said their action was consistent because of the low-density of surrounding property. Hall’s land is also more suited for a residential development, board members said.

At the earliest, the China Grove Planning Board would consider Hall’s request for final approval at their Feb. 2 meeting.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.