On Monday night, the Pembroke City Council voted to go against the recommendation of the Pembroke Planning & Zoning Board concerning the rezoning of 5.91 acres on Strickland Street Extension next to the Northside Cemetery.The Pembroke City Council did not address the issues that were a concern to the neighbors.The Pembroke City Council did not explain their reasons for voting against the Pembroke Planning & Zoning Board.
The following information will address the concerns of the neighbors who are opposed to the rezoning:
The city of Pembroke has received an application to rezone 5.91 acres (PIN# 05-01-003) on Strickland Street next to the Northside Cemetery from "B2-Commercial" to "R3-Multifamily / Rental Apartments." The property owner wants to build 80 rental apartments on this 5.91 acre parcel of land. However, once this property is rezoned to "R3 - Multifamily / Rental Apartments" he would be allowed to build 120 rental apartments on this piece of property. (See pages 40 -41 of the City of Pembroke Planning and Ordinance Manual) The party who filed the application for rezoning is Ray Butler; who does not live in our Pembroke community, but does have a business in Pembroke.
If you live within the vicinity of Strickland Street, Highway 67, Ash Branch Road, or Northside Cemetery, you will be adversely affected by the rezoning of this property!!!!!!!!!
Why is this piece of property so important?
Why do we need to fight for our neighborhood now?
For the last 40 years, our neighborhood has been a single family residential community.
- Spot zoning is not healthy for our community.
- The noise level and traffic through the cemetery will increase and will not be appropriate for the solemn services held at the Northside Cemetery.
- The change in the rezoning to multifamily and the potential use of this land for rental apartments DOES NOT meet the desires of the surrounding neighborhoods.
- Multifamily rental apartments will adversely affect the character of the surrounding neighborhoods.
- Multifamily rental apartments will lower single family residential property values.
- Local traffic will increase in our neighborhoods reducing the safety for children, walkers, etc.
Note: Will there be a green space or a park for the multifamily/rental apartment neighborhood?
- The construction of rental apartments will result in the clearing and paving of property that currently helps with drainage for the surrounding neighborhoods. With the change in the property, storm drainage and runoff could be a serious issue for the area.Note: Have the Corp of Engineers been contacted about the possibility of wetlands?
- If this parcel of land (5.91 acres) is rezoned to R3 (rental apartments), then a precedent could be set for the rezoning of the adjoining 5.3 acres of property.
- Should this property be rezoned to R3-Multifamily, there is the potential for 120 rental apartments to be built in our neighborhood on this 5.91 acre piece of property. (See pages 40-41 of the City of Pembroke Planning and Ordinance Manual)
Note: Apartments could be built to a height of 60 feet (as per the Pembroke Planning and Ordinance Manual. See page 41).
Does the City of Pembroke have a fire truck that will reach the top of a 60 foot tall rental apartment building?
- Ray Butler has indicated that the entrance to the apartment project will be off of Strickland Street.
Note: Has the City of Pembroke or the developer completed a traffic study?
- Will the rental apartments be subsidized by a government agency or Farmers Home Administration?
- Are there any environmental issues with this property since there was a saw mill located on this site at one time? Examples are methane gas, buried debris, soil contamination.
- What impact will this R-3/Multifamily/Rental Apartment project have on our local school system?
There appears to be no positive reason for the city of Pembroke to allow this property to be rezoned to R3- Multifamily. If you feel the same, please join us at the Pembroke City Council meeting to be held at the Pembroke City Hall on May 1, when the city council will have a second reading concerning this rezoning.
Our neighborhoods will need to attend this meeting to show our opposition to this rezoning request. If we do not attend this meeting and show our opposition to the rezoning request, we can almost assuredly be guaranteed that the rezoning will be granted and we will have rental apartments at our backdoor within a year. Remember that the City Council can accept or reject the Planning and Zoning Board’s recommendation. Please make your opinions known to your elected city officials because in the event of a tie, Mayor Judy Cook will cast the deciding vote. Please contact me if you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas.
Charlie Butler