SILER CITY — The Siler City Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning request for Marsh Auto Parts in Siler City following a three-hour discussion on Monday.
Members of the community adjacent to the property, which is located on Eleventh Street (U.S. Hwy. 64) and Greensboro Avenue, spoke out at Monday’s meeting with concerns about the current operation and its plans to expand, resulting in a split vote by the board.
Marsh Auto Parts purchased and opened its facility in 1963. As the operation grew, so did the size of the storage yard on the property for vehicles. As early as 1969, minutes from Siler City board meetings reflect residents of the Lincoln Heights community, which is adjacent to the property, complaints of mosquitoes and pests because of the facility.
Earlier this year, Marsh Auto Parts requested the rezoning and conditional use permitting of an adjacent property to use for auto delivery and processing. The reason for the request was mainly due to the anticipated “super street” updates to Eleventh Street that will be constructed by the N.C. Dept. of Transportation. That project will include a median with turnabouts along the corridor, which the Marsh’s believe would make deliveries more difficult.
Throughout the public hearing process, neighbors of the facility have raised concerns about mosquitoes and the appearance of the facility to the board of commissioners. At Monday night’s meeting, residents also brought a petition signed by nearly 30 residents and members of the Holy Trinity Church, which also borders Marsh Auto Parts, asking that the board “honor our wishes and not allow any more property in our community to be rezoned for the purpose of expanding a junk car lot.”
Mayor Pro-Tem Larry Cheek noted that a petition was entered in the Siler City minutes from 1971 about problems with mosquitoes.
“For 40 years, the residents have been dealing with this problem of mosquitoes,” Cheek said. “It’s about time the board takes action.”
In response, Siler City’s Planning Director Jack Meadows suggested the town contract with Catherine Deininger, Director of Biocenosis, who works with the town on projects involving “environmental management,” to conduct a study of the area to identify the source of the mosquitoes and make recommendations as to how reduce their breeding habitats.
Dr. Kate Scott, owner of Chatham Veterinarian Service — which is adjacent to the property — spoke to the board not only about the mosquitoes, but the appearance of the storage yard behind her facility.
“Whatever they do [in terms of fencing and buffers] should not take away from the aesthetics of my business,” Scott said. “I run a very professional business and I need my neighbor to look good. I want it to be very specific about what is going to happen here. And it should not devalue my property. My business is as important as any other business.”
Lincoln Heights resident Jimmy Pugh also spoke to the board asking “is this what you want to see when you open your door or go to church?”
“It’s time for the commissioners to give us some consideration,” Pugh said. “Don’t we have any rights at all? It falls on you. It’s your legacy. We can’t enjoy ourselves outside...we can’t enjoy the fruits of our labor. Look inside yourself. Would you want to be in this position?”
Kimberly Pugh, who lives and owns several homes in the Lincoln Heights community also spoke to the board noting that financially, Marsh Auto Parts pays $7,000 in taxes while she pays $2,500 on her three properties. She said that with “all those people in that neighborhood, that’s a considerable amount of money.”
“From a financial standpoint, you need to listen to the residents,” Kimberly Pugh said.
She also noted that from a “marketing standpoint,” the storage yard is “quite unsightly.”
“If they were being a good corporate citizen, they would have put up a better fence in 50 years,” she said. “But it’s black plastic, for 50 years it’s been black plastic. I don’t think what were asking for is something unattainable. We just want to enjoy our property. I implore you to say ‘no.’”
Marsh Auto Parks’ co-owner Jimmy Marsh addressed the board saying, “Marsh didn’t create mosquitoes, God did.”
Marsh said that he has started speaking with a few members of the community to discuss planting trees to obstruct the view and has paid to have a drainage ditch cleaned out to allow flow of water. He also noted that over the 50 years the company has been in operation, it has donated $230,000 to the town’s fire and police departments, the food pantry and local churches. Co-owner Steve Marsh also addressed the board, reiterating much of what his brother said, adding that he had been working with a horticulturist with the Chatham County Agricultural Extension to deploy mosquito reduction techniques which are now in use at the facility. The Marshes also agreed to allow an expert on their properties to conduct the mosquito study.
Throughout the discussion, several commissioners made the point that the re-zoning and the mosquitoes were two different issues.
“I don’t know if this application [for re-zoning] affects the mosquitoes,” Commissioner Lewis Fadely said. “I think we’re talking about two different issues.”
“I’m still trying to figure out what fencing and mosquitoes have to do with this re-zoning issue,” Commissioner Bill Haiges said.
“I think by doing the study, we can eliminate the mosquitoes on the property that’s about to be re-zoned,” Cheek said.
“We’re not looking at the issues we need to be looking at,” Commissioner Cindy Bray said, noting agreement with Fadely and Haiges.
After the lengthy discussion, the re-zoning request was passed by a 5-2 vote, with Cheek and Commissioner Tony Siler dissenting. Fadely then made a motion to approve the conditional-use permit, but added that the conditions include the Marshes allowing the expert on their property for the mosquito study and to adhere to the study’s recommendations. That motion passed unanimously.
Reporter Casey Mann can be reached at CaseyMann@Chathamnr.com.