Nothing easy about mill easemen
gz ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald@gmail.com
Is Mike Brown taking a big risk in his
stance against both the Kings Mountain Plan- *
ning & Zoning Board and Gateway Trails?
Or will this zoning issue, which has been fes-
tering for nearly four months be settled?
It's a hot issue that only city council can
put to rest. :
The City of Kings Mountain was offered
the 57.522 acres for the same price, $95,000,
that Brown paid for it. Several council mem-
bers left the sale offer on the table fearing en-
vironmental issues. The property was gifted
to the Consortium for Progress by Glen
Raven Mills, but there was the additional
Zoning
dispute
surfaces
ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @gmail.com
The question before city council
last Tuesday to delay action on the re-
zoning of Raven Drive property of:
developer Mike Brown drew the ire
of three city council members. Emo-
tions ran high, indicating a split on
the issue by the seven-member board.
The simmering dispute surfaced
when the city's planning director -
Steve Killian asked the board to con-
tinue a public hearing on Brown's re-
zoning until Oct. 25 so that the group
can meet Tuesday, Oct.11, for a pub- *
lic hearing and make a recommenda-
tion.
Ward 5 councilman Rick Moore
immediately took issue. "We've de-
layed action on this request too long.
You are making him jump through
hoops," said Moore to Killian. "It's
time for this board to get with Mike
Brown and show him what he needs
to do to comply. This guy is trying to
develop this property, cleaning it up,
and all he gets from the city is to
jump through hoops." As Killian took
his seat without comment, Mayor
Rick Murphrey admonished Moore,
"You can't do that."
Councilman ‘Tommy Hawkins
agreed with Moore's stance. "It's just
taken too long and it appears Mr.
Brown wants to db something with
this property and for the community."
But it was councilman Mike But-
ler who gave a clear directive when
he said, "I want this matter settled at
our next meeting and I want Brown
and the Gateway Trails to get to-
gether and get this straightened out.
We've kicked him (Brown) around
too many times."
Councilman Dean Spears de-
fended the planning board's actions.
"They gave Mike a list of suggestions
he needed to do at his first request for
rezoning of that property and he with-
drew the request," said Spears.
See ZONING, 7A
8798525700200
v Sa
Volume y
y NITY Te
x Banks Trust
cost of an environmental study and property
taxes. And after the death of John Henry
Mass, founder and president of the Consor-
tium, the officers started looking for a buyer.
A portion of the Gateway Trails crosses
the back side of the Raven Driye property
and leaves open a legal dispute over the lo-
cation of the trail.
An "exclusive" conservation and trail
easement was signed Feb. 19, 2008 by John
Henry Moss and County Manager David
Dear conveying 57.5 acres and was filed by
the Register of Deeds in Book 1606 at page
1948. The trail area was described as 50 feet
wide and the property in the easement was
donated as part of a grant from the N.C.
liste 41 « Wednesday, October 5, 2011 o7
WOODS TEA CO.
IN CONCERT SATURDAY
KM ART GALLERY
| Dedicated to Reavis family
4
1B
Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. It was
dedicated in perpetuity for recreational use
by the general public unless approved by/of
* N.C. Department of Environment and Natu-
ral Resources.
Cleveland County was given a 50-foot
easement right of way along the Chemetall
Foote property line Nov. 23, 2010. Cleveland
County started work on the trail Feb. 24,
2011.
Brown bought the property May 20, 2011
by special warranty deed from the Consor-
tium for Progress. The property is valued on
the Cleveland County tax books at $606,000.
"Mike Trammell surveyed the property. The °
See NOTHING, 6A
—— A Guide To This Week’ s Action fof
Jamie Walls, right.
Brown has plans for
Raven Drive property
Page 6A - Mike Brown excited
about plans for old mill site: a
campground and recreation fa-
cility and park amenities that
would include an indoor go-cart
facility, a "Lazy River" pool, ten-
nis courts, putt-putt, a basket-
ball court and batting cages.
PR ) Need something to do this week? There’s pf
~~ # going on. Whether it’s soaring through the air on ridies
. atthe fairground, soaking up culture and history at the pfu-
~ seum or art center, hearing a world traveler spin tales atthe
library or a folk band perform live at the theater, or taki;
lantern-guided stroll back through time, this week has somet
for everyone to enjoy.
- Enjoy rides on the midway, slide down jt
world’s largest inflatable slide in the grandsta§nd,
watch dancing bears, pig races and little doggies
jf perform and much more at the Cleveland Coungty
¥ Fair, which runs through Saturday, Oct. 8. Wednesday a:fhd
Thursday will be Special Children’s Days / School Ticket
Days. On Thursday ladies will also be admitted to the f: Sir
for half price, can ride for half price and will have fr 1.
admission to the grandstand. On Saturday armbands fol r
unlimited rides can be purchased for $16. The gates ops
% Reenactors Rob Lewis, commander of the South Fork Militia, and
1g a
ing
the
photo by EMILY WEAVER }
Sée TOP 10, 7A
i or fit city rules
Public hearing: set for P&Z board on zoning Tuesday
EMILY WEAVER/HERALD
A stake (in foreground) marks off Mike Brown’s
property, which encompasses part of the Gateway
Trail. Preston Brown stands half-way between the
stake and Mike Brown, who stands on the trail.
ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald@gmajl.com
p.m. in council chambers. *
After two - at times
appearance before the plan-
ning board in July, the board
The city codes depart-
ment has issued five permits
to developer Mike Brown in
his plans to build a RV
Campground with initially
20 of 47 campsites, remodel
an existing building for an
office and bathroom, and put
up four single-family
dwellings 50 feet from the
Gateway Trail which runs
along his property on Raven
Drive. :
Brown is adamant that he
can continue with his build-
ing plans within the city's
current ordinances. "This
isn't a subdivision I'm trying
to build it's an RV camp-
ground," he has said on sev-
eral occasions. %
The Tuesday night public
hearing at 5:30 p.m. at city
hall will address Brown's re-
quest to rezone all of his
property, 57.722 acres, the
former Park Yarn/Glen
Raven Mills properties, to
light industrial.
The planning board
makes zoning recommenda-
tions to city council which
has the final say at its Oct. 25
meeting after a public hear-
ing on Brown's request at 6
heated - public hearings in
the last four months,
Brown's plans for a RV
campground at the old Park
Yarn/Glen Raven Mill prop-
erty seemed to unravel with
opposition from the pastor of
a neighboring church con-
cerned about noise and sani-
tation. After his first
day, Oct. 9.
PALE rey ;
Park to celebrate
: anniversary of Battle
“The Backcountry Militia will recreate the activ
ities of an 18th century military encampment
part of the activities commemorating the 231st
Anniversary of the Battle of Kings Mountain
the Kings Mountain National Military Park. Visi
tors will be able to experience the activities of
military camp life on Saturday, Oct. 8, and Sun-
listed 13 specific suggestions
as a revised site plan which
Brown ignored because he
said his building plan fits the
city's present ordinance.
"Our board took a hard
look at findings of fact be-
fore recommending 7-1 that
See BROWN, 7A
~ As with today's National Guard and othe mil .
tary reserve units, civilian males were mustered
several times a year-to be trained as a ‘military o
unit. These musters were necessary because
Building Confidence.
Building Trust. Building Smiles
209 S. Battleground Ave., Kings Mountain 704.739.5411
www.alliancebanknc.com . memser mic
: in
Tera. .