Valdese council denies rezoning request for apartment complex

The Valdese Town Council unanimously denied a rezoning request Monday that would have made way for a multi-family apartment complex at the site of the long-closed Burke Mills textile plant — a property considered difficult to redevelop due to industrial contamination.

One man spoke against the Reagan’s Reserve development, but at least 20 people came to the meeting for the council’s verdict. They filed out immediately after a decision was made.

Mayor Pro Tem Rexanna Lowman, who made the motion to deny the request, said that the town’s planning board unanimously recommended denial after reviewing the details at its March 16 meeting.

Lowman said the Town Council drew the same conclusions when its members reviewed the request: that the proposal is inconsistent with Valdese’s comprehensive plan and future land use map, and neither reasonable nor in the public interest.

Because it was home to an industrial operation that began before strict environmental regulations, the 15.85-acre plat at 0 Griffin Ave. is considered a brownfield site.

The term is a designation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for properties where redevelopment or reuse could be complicated by hazardous substances, pollutants, or other contaminants.

Davis Ray with KRP Investments, LLC, out of Sunset Beach, represented the project developer and spoke briefly on the proposal.

Ray noted that they had decided to reduce the number of apartment units from 84 to 52, though the new plans had not yet been drawn. He said they felt fewer units were more suitable for the site, the road, and its location by a residential neighborhood.

Lowman asked about safety, given that the plat is a brownfield site.

Ray said KRP Investments has developments on brownfield sites in Kannapolis, Lincolnton, and Orangeville.

“That’s something that we’ve noted in our plans, would just require a work plan with the (N.C. Department of Environmental Quality) if it was suitable, but at this time, we’re trying to make sure that the entitlements are in place prior to going through the process,” Ray said.

Valdese resident Joshua Miller, who lives near 0 Griffin Ave., was concerned about traffic safety, especially for children and the elderly.

Miller handed the council a petition opposing the apartment complex with more than 75 signatures.