SALISBURY — Since its opening in 2008, Tiger World has been situated at the back of a residential area on Cook Road. The Rowan County Planning Board voted on Monday to recommend a rezoning and site plan that will change the location of the entrance to N.C. Hwy. 152, along with other ideas for expansion.

The main change that Tiger World presented to the board was the entrance change, which would also include a new, larger parking lot built in front of the zoo. Tiger World founder Lea Jaunakais said that the zoo has grown enough that it is beginning to become too large for the current parking lot and Cook Road entrance.

“In 15 years, just to give you an idea of how much Tiger World has grown, our first year in 2008 we did $150,000 in annual revenue. Recently, we did $1.5 million in annual revenue, so there’s a 10-fold development of Tiger World in 15 years,” said Jaunakais during the meeting.

Outside of answering any logistical concerns, Jaunakais also said that she wants to bring the zoo into conforming status with the county’s ordinances.

“The fact that we’ve been here for 15 years and we still don’t meet the conforming status, we’re considered to be out of zoning. I really think it’s an important endeavor to be recognized as the zoo we are,” said Jaunakais.

Jaunakais said that she had received concerns from a few of the park’s neighbors about the entrance’s landscaping. She said that the zoo plans to make the entrance look as clean and attractive as possible by planting low-maintenance trees, such as palm trees, and putting down river rock.

While new exhibits were not included as part of the approval process, Jaunakais did say that the North Carolina Wildlife Resources had recently issued Tiger World a permit to house endangered cougars.

Several people who live on Cook Road spoke about the project and how they hoped it would affect them. The two residents who participated in public comment said that removing the traffic from Cook Road was a priority for them. They said that the road is too narrow for the school bus and truck traffic that enters Tiger World and that the increase in traffic as the park has grown in popularity has caused the road to deteriorate in condition.

The residents also spoke about the current placement of the animal waste storage site, which is at the edge of Tiger World’s property close to Cook Road. One resident, who lived at the end of Cook Road close to the zoo, said that she could smell the waste from her yard and asked if the board could include moving the site further into the property as a condition of approval. Jaunakais agreed to move the site.

Jaunakais said that in the future, Tiger World is also hoping to include an RV camper lot beside the new parking lot.

Planning board decisions are not final. The board’s recommendations will be brought before the Rowan County Board of Commissioners, who will make the final decision on approval or denial.