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Spring Lake board to have hearing on plan for apartments on Main Street

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SPRING LAKE — A public hearing is scheduled Monday on a plan to build apartments on Main Street that is drawing criticism from some town officials.

The Spring Lake Board of Aldermen is expected to hear rezoning cases for Main Street during its meeting at 6 p.m. Monday in the Grady Howard Conference Room at Town Hall.

Alderman Marvin Lackman said this weekend that the rezoning cases would change the Main Street Overlay District plan as well as the newly adopted land use plan.

“We have invested a lot of time and vision in what we are looking for Main Street, and these two projects do not fit our plan. The Cumberland County Joint Planning Board unanimously disapproved the 8.7-acre project, and the 0.24-acre project was approved on a split vote. We need to make Main Street an inviting place for businesses,” Lackman said.

The board also will hold public hearings on donation boxes and restricting commercial or industrial vehicles on residential roads.

The donation box ordinance would set parameters for permitting, maintenance and appearance. It would also give the town the authority to declare donation boxes a public nuisance if areas become unsightly and hold permit holders responsible for removing debris.

Lackman said that donation box debris sparked complaints for a while. Lackman spearheads the Spring Lake Matters monthly cleanups, which also draw participation from Alderwoman Adrian Thompson and Alderman Raul Palacios.

“We are working hard on cleaning up the donation boxes. This ordinance will allow a better process to track and ensure these donation boxes do not turn into a dump location. These boxes serve a purpose, but when furniture and junk are placed there, that becomes an eyesore and a possible rodent-pest infestation issue,” said Lackman.

The second ordinance that the board will consider addresses parking, maintainence and repair of commercial or industrial vehicles and equipment on private or public streets. The ordinance also addresses semi-trucks, recreational vehicles and semi-trailers that are parked or maintained on right-a-ways, sidewalks, cul-de-sacs or dead-end streets.

Alderwoman Sona Cooper said in a previous board meeting that the town must take care of its streets and that semi-trucks cause potholes on residential roads that were not constructed to support heavy vehicle traffic.

The board is also expected to go into closed session on issues of attorney-client privilege and personnel.

Spring Lake, Board of Aldermen, apartments, Main Street

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