Banner Elk Police Chief Kevin Hodges presented the Banner Elk Town Council with amendments to ordinances about handicap parking and parking citation fines.
Banner Elk Police Chief Kevin Hodges presented the Banner Elk Town Council with amendments to ordinances about handicap parking and parking citation fines.
BANNER ELK — Banner Elk Town Council met for its regular scheduled meeting on Monday, Aug. 8, to have public hearings for rezoning requests and discuss amendments to ordinances.
Banner Elk Police Chief Kevin Hodges presented an ordinance amendment that would allow the department to ticket people and businesses for blocking handicap parking spaces with things other than vehicles. Hodges proposed an amendment to the ordinance that included “building materials, personal property, items associated with said operation of the business, or any other materials which would impede use of the handicap parking space as designated” as applicable offenses. He stated that this does not apply to deliveries, and that people will still be allowed to temporarily block handicap spots for the purpose of delivering items.
Hodges also requested that the council consider updating the parking citation fines, as they have not been changed in 20 years. The department needs to purchase new parking citation books and stated that it is a good time to examine and adjust the fines as needed. He created a new set of fines for the council that is in line with those of towns similar to Banner Elk. Instead of tickets starting at $15 and going up to $50, the new citations would start at $50 and go up to $150. The council voted and accepted the new fines.
The Planning Board and the town made recommended amendments to the town’s mobile food truck ordinance, which has been sent to town attorney Four Eggers for review, zoning administrator Riley Pudney said. The new ordinance was adopted by the council with the recommended amendments.
“The last two or three weeks we’ve been collaborating with business owners and those who operate or utilize food trucks, and between them, the town and the Planning Board, they’ve seen these changes, they are the ones that brought the ideas to us,” Pudney said. “It’s been a collaborative effort and everyone that we’ve spoken to in that area has been pleased.”
The first zoning request was for 110 and 120 Azalea Way, which is owned by Angelo Accetturo. Currently, the lots are labeled as residential, so the gravel parking lot located there cannot be used for employee parking for The Village restaurants. He requested that it be rezoned as mixed use to the parking lot could be for both residents and employees. Members of the community spoke up during public comments and expressed their concern that there is no “buffer” between the parking lot and their homes. Pudney explained that because the parcel would be rezoned as mixed use, a barrier of trees or shrubs would have to be constructed in the interest of privacy and noise reduction for the residential area. The rezoning request passed.
Susan Gentry’s property at 134 Main Street was the second rezoning request. Currently, the property beside it, Dunn’s Deli, is zoned as commercial. This request would just make all zones in the parcel commercial so they all match, Pudney said. The council approved this rezoning request as well.
Hodges told the council that in an 18-month span, 3.9 million cars came in and out traveling Main Street West, the majority of which were going at or below the speed limit. The data comes from the speed limit radar sign posted along the road.
In his report, town manager Rick Owen stated that the paving projects in Banner Elk are mostly completed. He also discussed the $2 million appropriation in the state budget to go toward water and sewer improvements in the town. Owen wanted to be sure that the town publicly thanked Rep. Dudley Greene for his efforts in securing the funding for the town.
In other news discussed at the meeting:
The Banner Elk Town Council’s next regular scheduled meeting will be at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 12.
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