Following a closed session and a meeting on Tuesday lasting more than three hours, Rowan County Commissioners approved two key measures — one for Salisbury and another in Spencer.

After exiting a closed session near 9:30 p.m., the commissioners put a special use permit appeal for the former Salisbury Mall on hold and approved a measure that would take back a property at 418 S. Carolina Ave. in Spencer — colloquially known as the veterans home.

The first motion, made by Vice Chairman Jim Greene following the closed session, authorized County Manager Aaron Church to file a conditional district overlay for the mall with the City of Salisbury and wait to proceed with a special use permit appeal that’s already been filed. In conjunction with filing the conditional district overlay, commissioners approved paying $3,000 for engineering services.

The county’s choice to proceed with a conditional district overlay follows a recommendation made last year when the Salisbury City Council denied the special use permit for government services at the former Salisbury Mall, now West End Plaza. One significant difference with the conditional district overlay is that Salisbury City Council members can discuss the county’s request amongst themselves and with each other at any time before voting.

“I’ve told the city not to expend any funds generating the record, which is the most expensive piece of it,” said County Attorney Jay Dees. “I’ve just said ‘if we get to a point where the conditional district isn’t proceeding, I’ll put you on notice to have the record prepared for the appeal. We’re doing what the city asked us to do in October, when they turned us down.”

After the meeting, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Greg Edds said timing was the most significant reason to apply for a conditional district overlay.

“It’s the quickest route to get what both of us want ,and that was our only concern,” Edds said.

The second measure approved Tuesday returns the property in Spencer to the county. The county had transferred ownership to a private organization with the expectation that the residence would be used to house homeless veterans.

Dees said the simplest reason for the county to take back the property was a notice of zoning violation issued by the Town of Spencer last week.

“That meant that they were in a long-term uphill battle to get authority to do what they were doing at that location,” he said.

The veterans home motion, made by Commissioner Craig Pierce, allows a period of 120 days from Tuesday for current tenants to find another place to live.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246