Case Farms plans to expand operations, buy ABC store property

Three variances were approved Monday by Morganton’s Board of Adjustments, paving the way for Case Farms to expand its operations.

The fourth-largest employer in Burke County was given the OK to reduce its front setback from 50 feet to 20 feet; to increase the maximum building height to accommodate a critical air processing unit in a proposed breast-packaging facility; and to reduce the width of buffer landscaping between zones.

The breast-packaging facility is proposed for the south end of the property where parking is located. Parking will be relocated to the lot where the neighboring ABC store currently sits. That building will be demolished to make way for the new parking area.

Case Farms, at 121 Rand St., is in the process of purchasing 250 W. Fleming Drive for $600,000. The ABC store will operate Saturday, Feb. 15, at this location before opening at is new location in Tannery Square on Monday, Feb. 17.

Wendy Smith, director of Development and Design Services, presented variances on behalf of Case Farms.

VARIANCE ONE

Case Farms proposed a reduction of the front setback from 50 feet to 20 feet for landscapes, parking, and consistent frontage.

“The zoning ordinance presumes that in the corridor overlay there will be additional design standards for buildings and for landscaping, and parking areas because it is one of our major corridors that are heavily trafficked areas and they expect as people drive by there are certain views that you should see,” Smith said.

The board expressed concerns about the safety of pedestrians due to traffic. Smith and other members confirmed that they did not see the safety of pedestrians being an issue.

VARIANCE TWO

The second proposal is a request to increase the maximum height limit to 70 feet for a central air processing unit in the planned breast-packaging facility. The normal height limit is 65 feet. The purpose of the air processing unit is to turn the air over in the room where meat is packaged.

The board raised questions, asking if there was another machine that could perform the same function at the appropriate height.

“It will allow us to turn the air over in the room, which is part of code,” said William Pate, project manager for Case Farms. Pate informed the board that no other piece of equipment can perform the function.

Joseph Fullwood of RFW Construction Group, who’s assisting Case Farms with the project, further explained the need for the 70-foot unit.

“This expansion is a breast packaging expansion so they’re packaging the raw food there, putting it in different packages and shipping it out at the dock, so typically in a food plant like this, you have a critical processing air unit,” Fullwood said. “Inside this piece of equipment, there’s filters and it has a clean-up cycle so when they do sanitation at the end, they can dry the room out afterward, so it really is critical for food safety.”

“It’s typical on a food production plant that you have a critical processing air unit,” Fullwood said.

VARIANCE THREE

The third proposal highlighted a reduction in width of the requirement for a 50-foot landscape buffer on the eastern side boundary of the parking area. The reason for this request, according to Smith, is so the buffer does not run into the middle of the parking area but instead relocates it to run it along the edge of the parking area, current home to the ABC Store.

In addition, the new parking area buffer will include an opaque screen fence and 7.5 feet of landscaping on the back side facing Dollar General and Mighty Dollar’s plaza.