Commissioners Advance UDO Changes, $736 Million Water Project

SMITHFIELD — Growth, water capacity and development rules dominated a pair of Johnston County Board of Commissioners meetings Monday, as the board continued work on a new Unified Development Ordinance and moved forward with planning for a water project estimated to cost about $736 million.

Commissioners also discussed public transportation in the Clayton area, approved a 199-foot cellphone tower in Cleveland Township, and took action on several other matters during their Oct. 5 meetings.

UDO Discussions Continue
Commissioners continued refining the proposed Unified Development Ordinance, with adoption now likely in mid-November.

Among the issues receiving renewed attention is how much separation developers should be required to provide between new subdivisions and neighboring farms.
The board previously settled on a 35-foot agricultural buffer, but public comments during recent UDO drop-in sessions have generally favored buffers ranging from 35 to 75 feet.

Commissioners indicated Monday they favor allowing some flexibility rather than requiring the same buffer in every situation.

The board is also reconsidering several proposed zoning classifications sometimes referred to as “paper districts.”

One proposed Agricultural Estate district, for example, would require residential lots of at least two acres and was intended in part to provide a transition between farmland and denser subdivisions.

Commissioners said the proposed classifications have caused confusion among some property owners. Current county zoning regulations also do not prevent homes from being built on two-acre lots.

Other changes under consideration would tie subdivision approval more closely to the availability of an adequate water supply.

Commissioners also appeared inclined to require most subdivision proposals to go before both the Planning Board and Board of Commissioners for approval.

Another provision under consideration would require developers to preserve a percentage of subdivision property as open space or pay a fee that could be used for parks and recreation.

$736 Million Water Project Moves Ahead
Commissioners also took additional steps toward developing a second major water supply for Johnston County.

The project would include a new intake on the Lower Neuse River near Princeton, a water treatment plant and transmission lines.

Public Utilities Director Chandra Farmer said the overall project is estimated to cost about $736 million.

The county plans to use a design-build process for the river intake and a more traditional design-bid-build process for the treatment plant.

Farmer said the approach should allow the new facilities to be operational by 2031, when the county anticipates needing additional capacity to meet peak daily demand.

Commissioners established a $5 million budget for the first phase of the treatment plant project. That work will include site planning, preliminary engineering and coordination of required permits.

The board also adopted a resolution allowing the county to reimburse itself with future revenue bond proceeds for money spent upfront on the project.

Clayton Transit Funding Discussed
Commissioners heard from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization about a possible way to direct federal public transit money to the fast-growing Clayton area.

Clayton now qualifies for federal urban transit funding, but Johnston County Area Transit System is not currently structured to receive the money directly.

CAMPO Senior Transit Planner Taylor Cooleen outlined a proposal in which the federal money would initially flow through the City of Raleigh before being directed to JCATS for planning and transit operations in the Clayton area.

Two studies would be proposed as an initial step.

One would examine the likelihood that Clayton-area residents would use public transportation. The other would study expansion of QuickRide, Johnston County’s on-demand public transportation service, into the Clayton area.

County Manager Rick Hester said he expects to bring commissioners a proposed agreement Oct. 19 involving Johnston County, Raleigh, Clayton, JCATS and CAMPO.

Cell Tower Approved
Commissioners approved a request that clears the way for construction of a 199-foot monopole cellphone tower on 31.03 acres at 435 Taylor Road in Cleveland Township.

Neighbors questioned whether the applicant, Anthemmet, had demonstrated the Taylor Road property was the best location for the tower.

Commissioners determined the application met the county’s requirements for cellphone towers and approved the request.

Kenly, Micro Consider County Fire District
Emergency Services Director Ryan Parker told commissioners that Kenly and Micro have expressed interest in joining Johnston County’s Fire Protection Service District.

Both towns currently operate municipal service districts and use a portion of their property tax revenue for fire protection.

The next step would be for the Kenly Town Council and Micro Board of Commissioners to decide whether to formally petition Johnston County to join the county fire district.

Commissioners also removed from the agenda a request from North Side Fire & Rescue to begin construction of a third fire station at 4370 N.C. Highway 42 East in the Flowers Plantation community.

The request must first be considered by the Johnston County Fire Protection Commission.

Farmland Preservation Funding
Commissioners approved a $21,342 funding request from the Johnston Soil and Water Conservation District to support the purchase of conservation easements in the Princeton and Selma areas.

The easements are designed to preserve agricultural land from future development.

Food Assistance Pilot Approved
The county will also partner with the Clayton Farm & Community Market on a pilot program allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients to increase their purchasing power for certain locally produced foods.

Under the Double Bucks program, eligible customers could effectively double the amount they spend on fresh meats, fruits and vegetables at the market.

Commissioners committed up to $2,500 for the first year of the pilot.

Supporters said the program could help lower-income residents purchase healthier food while directing additional money to local farmers.

Smithfield Sewer Agreement
Commissioners approved a nonbinding memorandum of understanding that could eventually transfer several existing county sewer mains to the Town of Smithfield.

Following completion of Johnston County’s new wastewater treatment plant on N.C. Highway 210, the county no longer needs to route wastewater from other bulk customers through Smithfield.

The affected sewer lines now carry only Smithfield flow.

Transferring the lines would give Smithfield authority over future sewer service requests involving those mains, but the town would also assume responsibility for maintenance.

The county will first evaluate the condition of the lines. Smithfield could then decide whether to accept ownership.

Other Business
Commissioners adopted a resolution supporting Operation Green Light for Veterans, encouraging residents and businesses to display green lights in recognition of local veterans through Veterans Day on Nov. 11.

The board also recognized the Johnston County 12U baseball team that won the Tar Heel League State Baseball Championship. The team includes players from the Benson, Four Oaks and Meadow communities.

Commissioners proclaimed Oct. 19-23 as Employee Appreciation Week, Oct. 4-10 as National 4-H Week and October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Two 2020 Chevrolet Silverado trucks, one with 179,724 miles and another with 211,415 miles, were declared surplus and will be sold at public auction.

The board also approved a $306,307 budget revision for JCATS involving N.C. Department of Transportation funding and a $21,776 increase in Sheriff’s Office revenue.

Appointments Made
Commissioners appointed John Beasley, Chris Ellington, Alan Johnson and Barry Stanley to the Fire Protection Service District Commission.

Bryan Bryant and Chad Massengill were appointed as county animal cruelty officers, while Lee Jackson was named to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.

Charles E. Wood, Adam Stanley, David Brewer, Timmy W. Stanley, Andy Mack Penny, Joey Creech, Allan Daughtry, William F. Jordan III and Dennis Max Johnson were appointed to the Firefighter’s Relief Fund Board of Trustees.

Pam Lipscomb, Dr. John Booker, Suzanne Cook, Matt Dean, Warren Grimes, Nathaniel L. Sanders Jr. and Vann F. Stancil were appointed to the Johnston County Heritage Commission.

Nakunda Everett was appointed to the Library Board of Trustees.

Rodney Cabe, John T. Stallings and Gray Sasser were appointed to the Moccasin Creek Service District Board.

James A. Lassiter, Kimberly T. Pickett and Nicole Youngblood were appointed to the Johnston County Tourism Authority.

Commissioners held a closed session involving legal and real estate matters. No action was taken after returning to open session.