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ROWLAND — The Board of Commissioners here took a step Tuesday toward reversing an ordinance prohibiting gaming establishments from operating within 360 feet of each other.
Board members voted unanimously to approve a moratorium on a portion of section 80.04-B of the town’s Zoning Ordinance subtitled “Allowable Locations.” The moratorium temporarily halts enforcement of the portion that lists other “game rooms” as sites that cannot be within 360 feet of a gaming facility. The distance from churches, schools, public parks or playgrounds still will be enforced.
“What you’re doing is saying we don’t want to enforce our code as to this provision until we look at adopting a new language,” Town Attorney Robert Price told board members. “All you’re doing is stopping the enforcement.”
Price told the commissioners to be sure they intend to amend the ordinance before adopting the moratorium.
“I think we’re all in agreement that we want this corrected,” Mayor Michelle Shooter said.
The amendment proposal was prompted by commissioners being told the town may have to revoke a zoning permit issued to the owner of a computer gaming facility at 605 S. Bond St.
Because another gaming facility exists in the adjoining property, at 603 S. Bond St., the permit awarded the gaming facility at 605 S. Bond St. is in violation of the “Allowable Locations” section of the town’s zoning ordinance. The first permit issued prevailed over the second, placing the second in violation of the ordinance.
The 603 S. Bond St. location has priority because a zoning permit was issued to it first.
During the January meeting, Commissioner Jean Love referred to the portion of the ordinance as a “bad law” and a “turn off” to businesses coming to Rowland.
“When we came up with this ordinance, at that time, we didn’t know what the rules were and what they were going to be,” Love said. “We didn’t know what we was really really doing at the time when we wrote this ordinance. We were guessing and the state had not given us no real guidelines to follow.”
The amendment must be approved by the town’s Planning Board, and a public hearing must be held before the it goes before the Board of Commissioners for debate and approval or rejection.
The commissioners also approved on Tuesday sending a recommendation of approval to the Planning Board.
Mayor Shooter also told board members the town will soon begin approaching businesses and farmers along the outskirts of Rowland and other people with personal ties or connections to the town seeking donations to help fund the purchase of a new police car and truck for the town’s Maintenance Department.
A letter that will be distributed reads in part, “We are in an exciting time in the history of Rowland, and the board and I feel some long-awaited projects can now begin to be addressed but we are playing catch-up. We are in desperate need for two new vehicles.”
Tomeka Sinclair can be reached at [email protected] or 910-416-5865.
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Rowland commissioners take step to correct zoning issue regarding gaming facilities - The Robesonian
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