Hendersonville Lightning: Top 10 stories of 2021: 10, 9, 8

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

8. No asphalt, no storage units

Disruptive land-use cases again drew organized public opposition. After Southeastern Asphalt Co. owner Jeff Shipman refiled a rezoning request for an asphalt plant on Spartanburg Highway in East Flat Rock, homeowners, business owners and environmental activists fought back with yard signs, billboards, online petition, a social media campaign and legal counsel. Hours before the Board of Commissioners was scheduled to hear the rezoning request, Shipman withdrew the application, just as he had done in 2020. Friends of East Flat Rock leader Michelle Tennant Nicholson thanked residents for their support during the land-use fight. “On behalf of all the neighbors who signed our petition and have worked tirelessly to fight this asphalt plant rezoning property next door to our churches, schools, homes, and businesses, I want to thank the Henderson County planning department for their endless hours receiving emails, letters, and phone calls,” she said. Meanwhile, homeowners in Crab Creek won a battle before the Zoning Board of Adjustment, which denied applicant Matthew Cooke’s request to rezone land for 1,000 self-storage units. Opponents presented testimony on traffic, the viewshed and residential property depreciation while Cooke’s attorney argued that the commercial use was compatible with surrounding use. Cooke has appealed the zoning board’s decision in Superior Court.