Neighbors plan for repeat clash with Rice
More than 40 people gathered in Greensboro tonight to form a plan to put the brakes on a local dealership's expansion.
Rice Toyota faces fierce opposition to its plans to put a parking lot on the back portions of residential lots fronting on Stratford Drive. The longtime dealership's neighbors put up a fight at the Feb. 12 city Zoning Commission meeting. And all nine commission members voted against Rice's request to rezone portions of the neighborhood land for parking cars.
Now, though, the dealership and its neighbors are heading to City Council. They'll argue their viewpoints at the Council's meeting on March 6.
Rice claims it wants the neighborhood property for employee parking - about 185 spaces the dealership will move there from across Battleground to make room for an expansion of new-car sales facilities.
The neighbors worry that one expansion won't be enough. They're concerned that Rice might build a parking deck instead of a lot. And they believe any commercial encroachment on residential property will hurt their property values and their quality of life.
Add another wrinkle here - the architect on the Rice expansion says the 40-year-old dealership might have to leave Battleground Avenue for another spot in the city if the rezoning isn't approved.
It ought to be interesting to see the Council weigh the request of a longtime business against that of its neighbors, many of whom have lived in that area for as long as Rice has been there.
Comments (2)
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I'm a little confused: Does Rice already own the property and simply want a zoning change or is this another ugly case of eminent domain on behalf of business interests?
If it is a case of eminent domain then I am highly opposed. If this is simply a rezoning request I've no dog in the fight but the neighborhood has my sympathy.
Fact is: Rice should move their dealership altogether. It should have been moved before the dealership was remodeled. As one who used to make regular deliveries there the place is a nightmare to get trucks in and out of especially when Rice employees regularly fail to inform their vendors as to which side of the street the delivery is to be made to. Crossing Battleground Ave. is dangerous in a car-- in a truck it's a nightmare.
Posted on February 23, 2007 11:45 AM
Hi Billy -
Rice wants to buy those four residential lots - the dealership's owner, Garson Rice Jr., does not own that property, yet. But he does have contracts to buy it if the city approves the rezoning for business uses.
It's not eminent domain - since the property's owners are willing to sell. Nothing's being seized here.
The neighbors aren't happy about the prospect of a parking lot in their neighborhood, and they worry that Rice will continue to buy property in the neighborhood and convert it for business.
From talking to the neighbors at a series of meetings they've held, I think people living along Stratford Drive might agree with your thinking that the dealership could move.
Some neighbors are particularly concerned about Rice putting parking on the west side of the Battleground Avenue for all employees - even the ones who work on the east side of the street. The architect Rice has hired to craft the expansion told me the company plans to shuttle employees back and forth across Battleground.
Posted on February 23, 2007 3:11 PM