Zoning raises ire late in meeting
Lake Santeetlah – Still sharp as a tack, Ralph Mitchell had one inquisitive comment when asked to speak on his special recognition at the Sept. 14 Lake Santeetlah Town Council meeting.
“That I’m old?” Mitchell asked dryly, before laughing.
Mitchell’s retort to Mayor Connie Gross’ question for comment broke up the room, as Mitchell was recognized via Zoom for being the oldest public servant in North Carolina. State Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Franklin) drafted the Certificate of Appreciation the week prior.
The 94-year-old council member was appointed as a write-in candidate during the 2021 election. He has owned a home in the Lake Santeetlah area since 1976.
“I only have six more years to make it to 100,” Mitchell astutely observed from his virtual seat, as he was out of town for the meeting.
“You’re definitely going to make it, Ralph,” resident Alan Davidson chimed in.
The lighthearted banter was a bright spot in the meeting, as the hot-button topic of zoning ended the gathering on a sour note.
Council member/finance officer Tina Emerson spoke during the final public comment period (the town makes room for two public comment sessions on its agenda) about a proposed zoning ordinance she and Davidson penned together.
Emerson’s request for everyone to have a look at the proposal drew the ire of both council member Diana Simon and resident Roger Carlton, who adamantly protested the pitch being presented from Emerson’s status as a resident.
“It’s to bring more of the town’s homes into conformity,” Emerson said, after repeating her proposal was being discussed – like Davidson – as a resident, not as an elected official or candidate.
Lake Santeetlah is the only municipality in Graham County that adheres to zoning ordinances. The changes in the proposal would eliminate businesses or planned unit developments from applying; condos would be allowed on a permitted basis; setbacks and clarification to the height ordinance as “stories,” not feet; and the proposal would require the planning board and zoning board administration to report quarterly to the town council.
Zoning has been a much-discussed topic in the town since the announcement of a planned condominium – Santeetlah Lakeside – came to light in 2020. The condos were set to be built in 2021, but little has been said since the location of the structure – the old Thunderbird Lodge – was torn down. Residents and council members alike have engaged in heated debates about the town needing a full-time zoning administrator.
“The current zoning has many flaws. I’ve said it for two years,” Davidson said. “I knew that I had to write something that made sense for the town.
“It’s very confusing; people just basically ignore it,” Davidson continued. “A simplified ordinance, that is easier for people to understand.”
Prior to Davidson’s comment, Simon asked Emerson if an attorney had reviewed the proposal. Emerson did not directly answer the question and, as Carlton wrapped up his comments, Simon abruptly left the meeting before final adjournment.
“With all due respect, I cannot fathom how you can be a citizen proposing an ordinance and then be a member of this council and vote on it,” Carlton said. “I’m not arguing with your right to make a proposal; that’s fine. But to sit there and say, ‘I’m a citizen with my proposal, when I’m a commissioner that can vote on it,’ is to me – and maybe the attorney – a blatant conflict of interest.
“You ought to be one or the other – but not both.”
Other news & notes
* Zito Media Escalation Department representative Daniel Stuckey attended the meeting via Zoom. Gross had became disgruntled with a lack of repair to numerous problems with connectivity for customers throughout the town and contacted Zito until being placed in touch with the company president.
Stuckey soon was assigned the case and, in Gross’ attempt to prove a point, the mayor asked for emails from residents about their lingering problems.
She had 17 within the first hour that she forwarded to Stuckey. “We are still working,” Stuckey said. “It’s good to hear a lot of great feedback.”
* Simon apologized for missing the Aug. 10 council meeting, which had been rescheduled from the normal 5:30 p.m. slot to 10 a.m. the same day, per her request.