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Melissa Elliott, Henderson City Council member and founder of Gang Free, Inc., appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Elliott discussed the outcome of last night’s Henderson City Council meeting where council members voted to deny the second request in two months to rezone residential properties located at 1337 and 1343 Dabney Drive at the corner of Lynne Avenue.
According to the meeting’s agenda, Hill Dubose, a commercial/industrial developer from Greensboro, NC, requested to rezone the properties located at the corner of Lynne Avenue from an OIA (Office Institutional “A”) District to a B-2A (Highway Commercial “A”) District.
Elliott said four citizens spoke at the virtual public hearing, including two in favor of rezoning who had “a financial interest” in the matter and two 30-plus year residents of the Lynne Avenue neighborhood who spoke against.
At the May 13, 2020, Henderson City Council meeting, members denied a request to rezone the parcels from OIA to B-4 (Neighborhood Commercial) District citing issues with potential hazardous traffic in the area associated with a proposed fast-food restaurant.
While Elliott said specific plans for the area were not discussed at Monday’s meeting, the Council expressed concern regarding the traffic increase that any development would bring to the Lynne Avenue single-family residential neighborhood.
The Council also discussed concerns with vehicles safely entering and exiting the location onto Dabney Drive and/or Lynne Avenue.
“I want to express that we on the Council are for redevelopment, economic development and bringing job opportunities to our area,” said Elliott. “We would like to see the Department of Transportation (DOT), who is responsible for Dabney Drive, provide a report or some type of research on egress and ingress to see how people will be able to get in and out without affecting Lynne Avenue and its residents.”
To hear the interview with Elliott in its entirety, including additional talking points from Monday’s City Council meeting, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
