By Josh Bergeron
josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Two months ago, a proposal to rezone land and, in turn, enable the construction of a Dollar General near Rockwell prompted a crowd of people to turn out in opposition to the idea.

That rezoning request, after being approved by the Rowan County Planning Board, will be considered by Rowan County commissioners on Monday.

Commissioners will specifically consider whether to rezone a 1.72-acre tract of land at the intersection of N.C. 152 and Organ Church Road from rural agricultural to commercial, business and industrial, with a conditional district. But residents are specifically concerned about the specific business — a Dollar General — that a company known as Terramore Development plans to build on the site and its affect on the surrounding community.

The Dollar General would be about 9,100 square feet.

At a January Planning Board meeting, those living near the area raised concern about traffic volume and car crashes at the site, the appearance of the site and that the community simply didn’t want a Dollar General. Though, some of the 15 speakers during the January meeting said they would be OK with the development.

Two items not included in January’s meeting but contained in agenda documents for Monday’s 6 p.m. meeting at the county administration building — 130 W. Innes St. —are plans to add greenery as screening around the site as well as a number of building facades of Dollar General stores across the country.

Also, a staff report for Monday’s meeting states that there were 17 car crashes at the intersection of Organ Church Road  and N.C. 152 from 2013 to 2019. That’s compared to seven and 13, respectively in the area of N.C. 152’s nearby intersections with Holshouser Road and Castor Road.

The report says the primary staff concern is related to the site distance for traffic driving north on Organ Church Road.

On Monday, if they choose to approve the rezoning request, commissioners must approve a statement of consistency, saying whether the proposed rezoning is consistent with any adopted comprehensive plans and if it is reasonable and in the public interest.

In other business on Monday’s agenda:

• Rowan County commissioners will consider issuing a request for qualifications for consultants to help in the possible consolidation of five county departments.

The county departments in question are building inspections, environmental health, environmental management, fire marshal and planning. The request for qualifications says the five departments would be consolidated into “one, cohesive and functioning unit.”

A consultant would provide guidance about developing and implementing a centralized permitting process.

Specific tasks would include: study the advantages and disadvantages of consolidating the departments; review all departmental services provided and resources allocated to them; make proper staffing levels and a managerial structure; make realistic recommendations for operating the departments more efficiently and effectively and recommend make recommendations about and reductions or additions that are needed.

• Commissioners will hold a public hearing to declare the Mt. Vernon Property — 12930 Cool Springs Road in Cleveland — a historic Rowan County Landmark.

A staff report describes the property as one of the best-preserved and most intact of Rowan County’s Federal plantation houses.

“It embodies the distinctive characteristics of the Federal style in western North Carolina, distinguished by its well-executed brickwork on the double pent chimney and exterior woodwork,” the staff report states. “The smokehouse and the barn are to be included in the designation as they are representative of accessory structures that would have been present on a property of the main house type.”

On May 27, 1980 it was entered into the National Register of Historic Places.

• Commissioners will have a closed session related to the Rowan County Rescue Squad.

Earlier this month, Rowan County Rescue Squad Chief Eddie Cress was placed on administrative leave for 60 days and county government signed an agreement to have Emergency Services Chief Chris Soliz temporarily take over management.

The rescue squad is a nonprofit organization, not a public agency.

• As part of the consent agenda, commissioners will consider an agreement with Davidson County to house inmates in the Rowan County Jail.

The agreement states that the Rowan County has capacity for additional inmates at its satellite jail on Grace Church Road and that Davidson County needs additional space.

Davidson County would pay Rowan a daily rate of $40 per inmate for each person incarcerated at the satellite jail. The rate does not include medical services.

• Commissioners will have a discussion about bores made under I-85 for water and sewer lines to be installed by the city of Kannapolis.

An email included in Monday’s agenda packet from Kannapolis City Manager Mike Legg states that the city’s project engineer recommends no further bores be made on behalf of Rowan County.

• Commissioners will hold a public hearing related to $147,366 that will be used to help provide housing rehabilitation to four owner-occupied homes in Rowan County.