Zoning Request Leads To Heated Debate

By Emily Weaver
Daily Record of Dunn

HARNETT COUNTY – Harnett County commissioners denied a rezoning request from a couple who said they wanted to bring affordable housing to seniors in the Chalybeate Springs area at its meeting June 17. The final decision came at the end of a heated, gavel-banging debate. 

Dr. Claudia and George Elliott said they saw the need for affordable housing in the county and planned to put 10 manufactured homes with permanent foundations on the 10.5 acres they purchased last year. But most of the property sat on wetlands in a 100-year flood plain with a zoning tag that wouldn’t allow a manufactured home park. 

The couple requested a change to a classification that would allow it on a portion of land that wasn’t in the flood zone, but the Elliotts still faced hurdles. 

Their property is tucked between the Victoria Hills and Neills Creek Farm subdivisions where houses are valued between about $200,000 and more than half a million dollars. The manufactured home park was only accessible on site plans by a road through Victoria Hills.

“This year, the residents of Neills Creek Farms paid $445,357 in real estate taxes,” said April Peguero, of Neills Creek Farms. “Victoria Hills paid collectively in the amount of $309,165 in real estate taxes.”

“Together, we paid over three-quarters of a million dollars in real estate taxes just last year,” she told commissioners at the meeting. Property tax revenue accounts for 53% of the county’s budget, she added.

“Both of these neighborhoods stand to be impacted significantly by this rezoning,” Peguero said. “For us at Neills Creek, it would mean that the center of our community, which is a beautiful park overlooking the creek, that … we paid $22,000 to maintain (last year) … would look directly into this property that they’re talking about rezoning. For Victoria Hills, it would mean that the mobile home park essentially becomes part of their community, sharing the entrance roads. 

“It’s a proven fact that single-family houses located near manufactured housing communities have lower property values than those located further from these communities,” Peguero continued. “If we say that this decrease in value is only 10%, that would be a $70,000 loss yearly in taxes for Harnett County. Since the average price for a mobile home is $43,600 and the current plan for rezoning would allow 10 mobile homes this would only generate $2,576 for the county. It’s a very bad financial deal for this county to make that decision. …”

When asked for a show of hands of those against the project, dozens of hands shot skyward at the meeting.

Another hurdle

The issue of rezoning came to the commissioners after a long, heated debate at a recent planning board meeting on the matter. The Harnett County Planning Board eventually voted unanimously to propose the project be denied. Board members said their decision was due in part to “staff’s evaluation” and finding “the request for the small-scale rezoning to be unreasonable due to the potential impact on the surrounding community and the immediate neighbors.” 

Board members referred to the impact as “unreasonable.”

Dr. Elliott passionately addressed that suggestion in her pitch to the board of commissioners.

“We purchased this land with our own money to try to help out the elderly population and they’re opposing it,” she said. “They’re saying it’s not compatible because it causes harm. What kind of harm?! What kind of harm are these elderly people causing!?! I’m getting calls from social services saying, ‘Can you help us?’”

“It’s me against all of these who showed up tonight,” she cried, referring to the packed council chambers. “It’s that important to show up and kick against affordable housing that you might need one day?”

The gavel started pounding, minutes later, as questions of race incited more shouts. 

Board of Commissioners Chairman Bill Morris called deputies in to assist with the crowd if it didn’t settle down. 

Struggle is real, though

“I get it. You guys don’t want what you’re calling a mobile home park behind your neighborhood,” Sparkle Bass said as she turned to face the crowd.

As the Realtor who sold the Elliotts the land, she reminded the board of the “huge issue … of housing for anybody” in the area.

“I’m working with three teachers right now that have pre-approvals for $150,000. They can’t buy anything in Harnett County that’s livable,” she said. “These are teachers that’s been teaching for 15 and 20 years. They are going to be at an age where they’re going to be retired and they’re not going to have anywhere to stay. 

“As we know right now … rent in Harnett County is extremely high,” she said. “Have you guys looked at how much rent is? For anyone that hasn’t renewed their leases in the last year or two, rent for … a one-bedroom is easily $1,000 in our county and that’s not including utilities. … Harnett County has a major problem and these people are trying to cut a slice of it and help somebody.”

Peguero agreed that help is needed, but she urged the county to help the Elliotts find a place where it will have the best impact.

“I do not oppose Dr. Claudia’s valiant efforts to provide homes for the most vulnerable members of our population and I agree with her,” she said. “We should try to work with her and help her to find a piece of property that’s not located in between two private neighborhoods. This idea, if placed elsewhere in the county, could be a wonderful resource without fiscally affecting the county as a whole by taking money away from schools and emergency services in the form of tax revenue.

“… We’re not here to oppose Dr. Elliott,” she said, “but we do emphatically oppose this rezoning.”

The Board of Commissioners all agreed to deny the rezoning request.