Planning Board Looking At Junkyard Ordinance

The Henderson, NC, planning board will hold a hearing regarding an ordinance requiring amortization of auto-repair facilities and junkyards in the city.

At a retreat this past summer the city board took a second look at a draft ordinance drawn up in April that would have put many auto-repair shops out of business.

The draft ordinance would have required auto-repair shops and junkyards in residential districts to completely phase out in three years. It was recommended by the planning board in May and sent to the city council, then back to the planning board.

The board agreed in July to an amendment that would allow nonconforming auto-repair facilities to remain in business if they conform to the following guidelines:

the facility not be expanded,

the facility be fenced and screened from view,

operating hours be restricted to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.,

the lot have no more than 10 cars at a time or meet a 15-foot building setback, whichever is greater,

vehicles have current tags and registration, and

the lot be covered with gravel.

Those in permitting districts will still have to meet the guidelines of the original ordinance, which includes screening the property and removing inoperable vehicles.

The same timeline in the draft ordinance applies, which means businesses will have to come into full compliance within three years. The (Henderson, North Carolina) Daily Dispatch