Minutes-04-04-2023-Business Meeting

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43 Vice-Chair McKee added that it should be in specific detail. John Roberts said as specific as possible would be helpful. Commissioner Fowler said it goes against the concept of community building as a first priority, and against the citizen concerns in preserving the county's rural landscape, natural and cultural resources, and furthermore does not address any error in the county's zoning atlas and is not necessary for public health, safety, or general welfare. Chair Bedford said that Commissioner Fowler said prior that it was inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Commissioner Fowler said that was correct. John Roberts asked Commissioner Fowler to specifically say that it is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan as part of the motion. Commissioner Fowler said that the first part of her motion she wanted to deny the application because it is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan based on the things she had stated twice. Commissioner Greene seconded the motion, but asked to offer a friendly amendment to add other inconsistencies with the Comprehensive Plan, specifically the ones Commissioner Greene had mentioned which were land use goal three which involves the county's goal to limit sprawl and the county's goal to encourage walkable development and not strip development. She said that Chair Bedford had also added inconsistencies. Chair Bedford said it was principles 5, 7, and 8 of the Comprehensive Plan. Commissioner Greene said she wanted to incorporate those reasons and asked Chair Bedford to repeat them. Chair Bedford asked for clarification that this was an amendment and not a drafting of a statement. Commissioner Greene said she was offering a friendly amendment to Commissioner Fowler's motion and wanted Chair Bedford's input. Chair Bedford said it is inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan and in conflict and inconsistent with the guiding principles 5, 7, and 8, and does not promote public health, safety, and general welfare. Commissioner Greene asked if Commissioner Fowler accepted those amendments. Commissioner Fowler accepted the amendments to motion. Vice-Chair McKee said the landowner is caught in a catch-22 and the fact that it is split zoned along with the setbacks makes it useless. He asked staff to look into other parcels that might be split-zoned because he wants to make sure this does not repeat. He said that the Board has repeatedly been told to follow the advice of experts and staff. He said staff has repeatedly said this is consistent and that the Board should follow the direction of staff. Commissioner Fowler said they were split zoned because it was several different parcels that were joined together to create this project. Vice-Chair McKee said this is a no-win for the owner and in his mind creates a property rights issue. Commissioner Richards said she has not shopped at Walmart in 20 years and tries not to support Amazon as an entity. She said she had to separate the land use zoning issue from the business and that she also has a lot of feelings about labor practices. She said she had looked at the zoning and how it was being used. She said she attended the community meeting and tried to talk all of that out and review it as a land use question. She said it looks to her like it meets the requirements for the change. She said it is a difficult decision, but she believes the evidence is there. Commissioner Portie-Ascott said that this is a very complex issue, especially being new. She said she read the minutes from the Planning Board and picked up on the property owner's comments on how he feels boxed in and having property that he is limited with what he can do with it. She said that sitting in her role, she said it feels like they created this problem for the