BENTON NC 27932-1
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Wednesday, January 6, 2016
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State: County can resume softening water
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
State environmental of
ficials said Tuesday that
Chowan County would be
allowed to resume its wa
ter-softening process for
the time being, according
to County Manager Kevin
Howard.
Changes are still in store
for the system over the long
term. But Howard said Tues
clay that state officials had
told him the county would
be able to resume softening
the water while an assess
ment is conducted — a pro
cess that is expected to last
at least a year.
Meanwhile, county of
ficials will hold a meeting
Tuesday night to provide
information to the public
about changes in the comity
water system.
The meeting will be held
at 6 p.m. on Tliesday,
Jan. 12, in the com
missioners’ meeting
room at the Public
Safety Center on
Freemason Street
Howard told the
county commission
ers at their regular
meeting Monday
night that he wanted to hold
the meeting in order to in
form the public about the
water system.
HOWARD
Howard said his
plan is to do a 20-25
minute presentation
on the current situ
ation regarding the
county water sys
tem and then field
questions from the
public.
State environ
mental regulators late last
year told county officials
they would have to stop
softening the county's wa
ter as long as the county
continued to discharge the
effluent from the treatment
process into a swamp near
the treatment plant. The
county already had begun
phasing out the softening
of the water and had been
scheduled to stop the soft
ening completely by March
1. That plan Is no longer ef
fect, though, in light of the
county’s new arrangement
with state environmental
regulators.
The meeting next week
will not be a special meet
ing of the board of commis
sioners. It will be an infor
mational meeting at which
coimty staff will present in
forpiation to the public.
But the comity commis
sioners plan to start meet
ing soon to discuss how to
resolve the water treatment
See WATER, 4A

BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Sheena Phelps of Eden
ton is the proud mom of the
Chowan County 2016 New
Year’s baby.
Little Jayceon Lamar
Phelps w;ls welcomed into
the world on Saturday,
Jan. 2 at 2:21 am. at Vidant
Chowan Hospital in Eden-,
ton. He weighed 9 pounds, 7
ounces and was 22.5 inches
long.
In an interview on Sun
day morning Phelps said
her due date was actually
another holiday, Christmas
Eve, but that apparently
baby Jayceon Lamar wasn't
ready to make his appear
ance just then.
“I just didn't think we
would go this far," she said.
“It was unexpected.”
Phelps said the baby is her
second child. She also lias a
little girl. Ja’Myah Phelps,
age 8, who is in third grade
at D.F. Walker Elementary
School.
rneips said ner mile gin
is thrilled to have a baby
brother that she’ll be
;ilile lO play with.
“She walked right in here
and said, ‘Mom, where’s my
baby brother?’" Phelps said,
while seated on her hospi
tal bed holding the newest
member of the family. “She’s
ready to take charge.”
Phelps accepted several
baskets of gifts tradition
ally presented to the New
Year’s baby by members of
the hospital staff and local
businesses.
“I love the gifts." Phelps
said with a big smile. “1
want to thank everyone for
them.” -
Phelps, 2b, is a graduate
of .Joint A. Holmes High
School. She works for the
North Carolina Department
of Corrections in 'lynell
County. She is the daughter
of Irene and William Phelps
of Edenton.
STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH
Sheena Phelps of Edenton cradles her son Jayceon Lamar, who was the first baby born at Vidant Chowan Hospital in 2016. Jayceon was born on
January 2, the grandson of Irene and William Phelps, also of Edenton.
County adopts
revised noise
ordinance
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Tito Chowan County Board of Commis
sioners Monday adopted a revised noise or
dinance intended to address concerns ntised
by tire chief district court judge.
In a presentation to the comity commis
sioners ;it their regular meeting Monday
night, Sheriff Dwayne Goodwin pointed
out that the ordinance had not been revised
since 1992.
This past summer the Chowan Sheriffs
Office issued citations under the ordinance
and they were tlirown out of court, Goodwin
told the commissioners.
Goodwin said Chief District Court Judge
Edgar Barnes tool said the ordinance as it
See REVISED, 4A
■( 2009 the Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Board backs request for solar farm permit
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
The town planning board
unanimously gave its approval
Monday night to a request from
Butternut Solar Farm, LL(' for
a conditional use permit.
The request, made by devel
oper Heath McLaughlin, was
for the creation of a 5-mega
watt solar farm on land located
at 115 Butternut Lane located
in Edenton’s one mile ETJ (ex
tra territorial jurisdiction).
Planning Board Chair Craig
Miller noted that while he and
his fellow board members liad
given their approval the final
decision on whether to grant
the permit rests with the’town
council.
According to Town Man
ager Anne-Marie Knighton, the
council Ls scheduled to consid
er the request at an upcoming
meeting.
To earn the board’s approval
the developer w as required to
prove that the project tit its
promised location:
• Will not endanger the pub
lic health or safety;
• Will not
injure the val
ue of ;u (join
ing or abutting
property;
• Will be in
harmony with
the area in
which it is lo
cated; and
KNIGHTON
• Will tx‘ ufconlomuty with
the Land 1 'sq Plan, thorough
fare plan, or other plan of
ficially adopted by the town"1
council.
In a report written by Knigh
ton it was noted that town staff
felt the applicant’s request suf
ficiently addressed concerns
raised in previous meetings.
For example, Knighton
said, “If appropriate setbacks
and landscape screens are ap
proval as conditions of the
permit, then a finding that the
project Is in harmony with the
area in which it is located can
be considered.”
“The town council is expect
ed to review the [lending Solar
Farm Text Amendment on Jan.
12,” she added. “That amend
ment contains a number of
“If appropriate setbacks
and landscape screens
are approved as
conditions of the permit,
then a finding that the
project is in harmony
with the area in which
it is located can be
considered."
Anne-Marie Knighton
Town manager
conditions that wc recommend
to lx> included in this CUP.” At
present the town’s Unified De
velopment Ordinance (UDO)
dot's not contain language
pertaining to proposed solar
farms."
Those recommended condi
tions are:
• Solar structures shall not
exceed 15 feet in height
• Solar array structures, in
cluding security fencing, must
meet the minimum setback
requirements for the R-A DLs
triet, a 500 foot sethaek from
;ui occ upied residence ;md a
500 foot setback from the cen
ter lint' of a public right-of-way
• In addition to the require
ments set forth in Article XIX,
Screening, Landscaping and
Trees rtHiuirements, the solar
farm shall be screened with ;ut
opaque screen along t he Nort h
Broad Street exterior side of
a security fence and along the
Butternut Lane exterior side of
the security fence. The screen
shall be from ground to the
height of six feet and consist
of plantings expected to be
opaque in all seasons of the
year and reach height maturity
within 5 years.
“(The) applicant is required
to submit screening plan and
maintenance plan ;ts part of
the Conditional Use permitting
process in accordance with Ar
ticle XIX and related Town of
Edenton UDO requirements,”
Knighton said in her report
• Applicant will seek ad
vice and input from Chowan
See FARM PERMIT, 4A *