Edgecombe County looks to purchase landmark

T. J. ROYAL

The Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners took a step Monday that will allow the county to likely purchase one of Edgecombe’s commercial landmarks.

The board approved a $1 million declaration for the Intent to Reimburse from Loan Proceeds, which will allow Edgecombe County to purchase of the unused Embarq and Carolina Telephone buildings at 122 East Saint James St. in Tarboro.

County Manager Lorenzo Carmon said Monday that the deal has not been finalized yet.

The commissioners also heard a spirited petition hearing, where residents near Antioch Road were successful in getting the board to decline a rezoning request for residential housing.

Former county commissioner C.B. Daughtridge requested a 36.04 acre tract on the east side of Antioch Road, north of Nobles Mill Pond Road, be changed from agricultural use, with a 30,000 square foot lot minimum, to a 10,000 square foot lot minimum for residential use.

He told the commissioners that, if approved, he was unsure whether he would place mobile homes or stick-built homes on the land. But he added that he would have liked to seen it developed for residential housing for teachers in the Edgecombe County Public Schools system.

Janice Bulluck, an Antioch Road resident, said she opposed the request because "right now, we have a safe, peaceful neighborhood." Fay Beddingfield added that she would like "to keep it that way."

Marilyn Vines said that that area already has "traffic from QVC and U.S. 64 Alternate," and that many people travel faster than the posted speed limit as is.

Marsha Baker-Coles added that she and other residents are "concerned that there would be a high-density, low-income (situation on the property) that would reduce property values" for nearby property owners.

The commissioners followed the advice of the county Planning Board, who advised to not grant the request.

The commissioners approved many appointments to various county and regional boards and councils. Former commissioner Calvin Anderson was renamed to the North Carolina's Eastern Region board, where he served as its chairman.

Shelly Willingham was approved for another term on the Edgecombe County ABC Board, and Joe White at Bessie Cooper were reappointed to the Edgecombe County Cultural Arts Council.

Tom Wittle, Alice Schenall, Commissioner Viola Harris, Commissioner Evelyn Powell, Barbara Whitaker, Ada Bellamy and Ernest Shaw were reappointed to the Edgecombe County Human Relations Commission.

Barbara Campbell Davis and Addie Carmon, Lorenzo Carmon's wife, were reappointed to the Board of Directors of The Beacon Center. Rochelle Cobb was reappointed to the Edgecombe County Adult Care Home CAC, and Yolanda Thigpen, Tammy Murphy and Mary Ann Webb were reappointed to the Turning Point Workforce Development Board. Randy Dikeman replaced Dan Grimsley on the Workforce Development Board.

And Carrie Stanley, Board of Education Chairwoman Evelyn Wilson, Maggie Gilliam, Myra McCall, Mary Ella Joyner, John Nicholson, Joe Dickens, Alva Manning, Commissioner Evelyn Powell, Mary Perry, Mary Barnhill and Rachel Summerlin were reappointed to the Edgecombe County Council on Aging.

The commissioners also approved:

• taking over 727 acres of extraterritorial jurisdiction area from the Town of Pinetops, in the Bynum Park area. Carmon said that the county would be taking over planning for the area, which includes 43 stick-built homes and 31 mobile homes, and that it would need a zoning designation.

• a $480,000 Rural Center grant to Edgecombe County, on behalf of Montana Tractors in Tarboro. The funds are set to be used for the creation of 40 jobs at its Tarboro facilities. Montana Tractors bought the assets of Farmtrac North America, formerly Long Agribusiness, back in November.

• a $314,176 Medicaid reimbursement for the use of ambulances and emergency vehicles provided by the county. The reimbursement was assisted by the county's membership in the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, Carmon said.

• a $75,000 Talent Enhancement Demonstration grant from the N.C. Department of Commerce. The grant will allow Edgecombe County to develop a greater ability to do grant writing and administration, to be more competitive when seeking grants.

• an estimated $80,000 contract to Central Carolina Holdings based in Cameron, for disposal of scrap tires in Edgecombe County. The contract will be awarded depending on how much scrap is collected.

• a rezoning request by County Extension Agent Joe Dickens. His 0.5 acre tract at 3690 N.C. 111 North, near Chinquapin Road, was rezoned for general business use from agricultural-residential use.

• naming a road in the Raccoon Run subdivision off U.S. 258 "Lewbrisco Lane."

The commissioners also received a letter from State Sen. A.B. Swindell, D-Nash, stating that he received their letter seeking his support for the state government to not take more Average Daily Membership funds from the local school system. Carmon said the county has used around $10 million ADM funds to fund more than 15 different projects for Edgecombe County Public Schools.

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