Public Hearing and Board Action on Ingles Development at Holly Spings Plaza

The Franklin Town Council held a public hearing regarding the development by Ingles in Holly Springs Plaza. The town council voted approval. 

 Public Hearing and Board Action

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 Published at 3:45pm on Wednesday, September 9, 2020

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Daily Weather Briefing for Thursday, October 26, 2017

LOCAL NEWS

The young man who went missing Tuesday night was located in Swain County with minor injuries and has been reunited with his family. More information on this can be seen at this link and this link.

The Super Ingles (Ingles #114) opened for business yesterday on the Georgia Road and droves of people visited the supermarket. A few photos are posted below.







And here is a short video from a few days ago that was shot from an aerial perspective of the location.



LOCAL OUTLOOK

A gradual warming trend will take place through Saturday. Rain chances will be increased on Saturday and Saturday night. Another round of cool and dry conditions will dominate the local weather pattern next week.



WEATHER SPONSOR

Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month. 

Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/

All your masonry needs are available. Phone number is 828.524.8545, public is welcome, we’ll help with your with your next project.   

Weather Almanac for October 26th (1872-2016)

Record weather events for this date in Macon County

Highest Temperature 86°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1947
Lowest Temperature 17°F in Highlands in 1903
Greatest Rainfall 2.99 inches at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1977
Greatest One-Day Snowfall (no measurable snowfall recorded)


Record weather events for October in Macon County

Highest Temperature 91°F in Franklin on Oct 5, 1954
Lowest Temperature 12°F in Highlands on Oct 30, 1910
Greatest Rainfall 9.91 inches in Highlands on Oct 4, 1964
Greatest One-Day Snowfall 1.0 inches in Highlands on Oct 20, 1913


THREE DAY OUTLOOK



TODAY

Areas of frost is expected this morning. Skies will be mostly clear and highs will be in the 50s with a few locations possibly roaching 60. Winds will be out of the northwest at the start of the day and will gradually rotate around to come of out the west by noon. Wind speeds will peak around 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon (mostly from 1 pm to 5 pm) and continue shifting southward to come out of the southwest by 6 pm.

TONIGHT

Clear skies with patchy frost after midnight. Lows in the 30s. Winds will be out of the south, gradually shirting to come out of the south-southeast just before 6 am.



FRIDAY

Patchy frost in the morning and sunny skies and highs ranging from the 50s in the higher elevations to the lower 60s in the lower elevations. Winds will be 5 to 10 mph out of the southwest.

FRIDAY NIGHT

Partly cloudy in the early evening with increasing clouds, becoming mostly cloudy by midnight. Lows in the 40s and winds 5 to 10 mph out of the south. 40% chance of rain, mainly after midnight.



SATURDAY

Cloudy and rainy with highs in the 50s. Winds 5 to 10 mph out of the south. Near 100% chance of rain.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Mostly cloudy and cold, with lows ranging from the upper 20s to the lower 30s. 70% chance of rain, mainly before midnight. Temperatures will be falling at the end of the rain, so it is possible we could see some snow showers, but little or no accumulation is expected in most of Macon County. The higher elevations might see enough to turn the ground white.

HAZARDS

Hazardous weather is not expected today. The frost this morning will be more widespread than it was in the past couple of days, but not in all locations.


Macon Media maintains a Severe Weather Preparedness Page at http://thunderpigblog.blogspot.com/p/breaking-news-hub.html for those who are interested.


As always, you can check to see what advisories, watches, and warnings are in effect for Macon County by visiting http://is.gd/MACONWARN



TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK

The Atlantic Hurricane Season ends on November 1st. There may be some activity, but with the oceans cooling off the chances are less likely that a significant storm will form.

Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
200 AM EDT Thu Oct 26 2017

For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:

1. Showers and thunderstorms associated with a broad area of low pressure located over the western Caribbean Sea and Central America are gradually becoming better organized. Close proximity to land is likely to limit development of this system on Thursday. However, environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for the system to become more organized Friday and Saturday as it moves slowly northward over the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Strong upper-level winds associated with an approaching cold front will make conditions less favorable by Sunday. Regardless of development, locally heavy rains are likely over portions of Central America and Cuba during the next several days.

* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...30 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...medium...40 percent.



MACON CALENDAR

If you have an event you wish to be added to this calendar, please send the information, along with a flyer in pdf format or a high-quality photo, to editor@maconmedia.com. If you want text published, please include a paragraph with your photo, flyer or graphics. Please include date(s) and time(s).
There is no charge for civic, educational or nonprofit groups, except for groups or events that receive funding from the TDA, TDC, and EDC, where full rates apply.

It is FFA Christmas Tree order time.....
Help support our Franklin FFA ( Future Farmers of America )....
* All proceeds go to the students for competitions *

FFA students are taking orders for Christmas trees...locally grown Frasier Firs...hand selected by students, 6ft, 7ft, 8ft... $25.00 each...order now - pick up Sat Nov 25 9am-12....Ag Building at Franklin HS....contact Gregory Charles Spala 813-838-7693 or Lori Spala 813-503-2160 calls, text & vm or via FB messenger or send comment...
Cash or checks (FHS....memo line FFA Christmas Tree)

**Thursday, November 16th DEADLINE for orders & money turn in for Christmas Trees**


National Alliance on Mental Illness
Appalachian South

Meets each Thursday at 7pm
The First Methodist Church Outreach Center
at the intersection of Harrison Ave. and West Main Street
(directly across from Lazy Hiker Brewery)

Come join our weekly support group for anyone suffering from mental illness and their family or friends. This includes Depression, Bipolar,8chizophrenia, PTSD, Substance Abuse, Etc.

Here you will find:
— others living with mental health challenges YOU ARE NOT ALONE
- learn coping skills and ?find hope in shared experience
- help learning how to break down stigma and guilt surrounding mental health
- how to live life with the expectation of a better a better future

Kay (706)970-9987 Denise (828)347-5000)

SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

On January 1, 2017, the Syringe Exchange Program of Franklin began operating a comprehensive harm reduction program to address the opioid epidemic that is impacting western NC. Opioid overdose reversal kits including naloxone are available free of charge. If you have any questions about our services or if you know someone interested in volunteering, please contact Stephanie Almeida at 828-475-1920.



Sun and Moon

Sun

Begin civil twilight 7:24 a.m.
Sunrise 7:50 a.m.
Sun transit 1:17 p.m.
Sunset 6:45 p.m.
End civil twilight 7:11 p.m.


Moon

Moonrise 1:37 p.m.
Moon transit 6:49 p.m.
Moonset 12:03 a.m. tomorrow


Phase of the Moon on October 26, 2017: Waxing Crescent with 38% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.
Closest Primary Moon Phase: First Quarter on October 27, 2017 at 6:22 p.m. (local daylight time)

Sky Guides for this week

I took some epic photos of the solar eclipse, but have not yet had time to process them. I will be producing material from the photos and video for sale as a fundraiser for Macon Media. --Bobby

Sky and Telescope Magazine 
Astronomy Magazine


Earth Sky has an article on the eclipses of 2017. [LINK]

Heavens Above has an Android App that will assist you in observing the sky and even has a satellite tracker that will let you know when the International Space Station and dozens of other satellites are overhead. [LINK]

Stellarium is also an app that will assist you in observing the sky. It is available in both Android [LINK] and iOS versions. [LINK]

CROWD FUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only. Macon Media rewards early sponsors/underwriters with lifetime guaranteed low rates while newer sponsors/underwriters pay higher rates based on the date they first support Macon Media.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online. You have made it possible for Macon Media to begin purchasing state of the art equipment and begin work on building a real website with features not employed by any local news outlets.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia



Posted at 4:25 am on October 26, 2017

#WNCscan #MaconWx #MaconSafety

Data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, Ian Webster's Github, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, The National Weather Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, and the Weather Prediction Center. 

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Photographic Update on the new Ingles May 10, 2017

  The gas station is on the left, and the Ingles and shops are on the right. The Robert C Carpenter Building, currently undergoing renovation, is at the lower center of this photo.

A photographic update on the progress of construction at the new Ingles #114 location in Franklin. Construction is expected to be complete this fall. Click on any of the photos to embiggen (enlarge).

  The gas station

The Ingles and shops.

Previously:

August 16, 2016 

Franklin Town Planning Board August 2016 Meeting
Elections and Special Use Permit for Ingles Markets

August 15, 2016

Demolition of old Belden Plant Begins

August 9, 2016

Ingles Markets Holds Neighborhood Compatibility Meeting in Town Hall

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Franklin Town Planning Board August 2016 Meeting Elections and Special Use Permit for Ingles Markets

The Franklin Planning Board met yesterday afternoon in the lower level of town hall. All members except Peter Mosco and Dave Jones were present. The full video, photos and meeting notes are posted below.




The board elected Tom Harris as Chairman and Janet Greene as Vice Chairman for one year terms. The board then took up the Special Use Permit for 1281 Georgia Road. Ingles Markets has proposed an Ingles Markets Grocery Store, Retail Shops and an I-Market with eight gas pumps for the 13.03 acre property.

The building Ingles wants to place a building 88,928 square feet in size, which is larger than the 30,000 square foot allowed by the current c-3 Zoning District.

Engineers have calculated the site will need 3500 gallons of water per day and will produce 3500 gallons per day for sewer services.



STAFF COMMENTS (taken from planning board documents)

Ingles Markets has applied for a special use permit for a 1303 acres off of Georgia Road. The development is to build a 72,128 square foot grocery store, 14,000 square feet of retail shops and an 8 pump gas station on the site. Because of the development size the UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) requires developments of 30,000 square feet to be rezoned to PCD (Planned Commercial Development).

Ingles Markets have submitted all required plans as required and have included a traffic impact study has also been included by the request of the Land Use Administrator. Parking on the site under strict enforcement would require 461 spaces per the UDO. Ingles Markets has stated this is too many spaces for this site and has requested that number be relaxed. Under section 152.093 (F) Off-street parking parking in the UDO Flexible Administration states that parking standards can be relaxed it it deemed to be far in excess of the need. Ingles Markets has provided data from other stores comparable to the size of this store with peak parking totals. Ingles would like to provide 341 parking spaces for the development. Staff feels this is in reason and can be accepted.

The site has a landscape plan, storm water plan, utility plan, grading plan and lightning plan. A portion of the site is located in the floodplain for Cartoogechaye Creek which they will be requesting to place fill dirt for the parking areas but will not be affecting the floodway for the creek.

Ingles has approached the NCDOT to install a full movement traffic light on the Georgia Road for main access to the site. The NCDOT has stated they will be installing a light to assist with the exiting of the Robert C Carpenter Community Building as well.

A town water line will need to be relocated since the new structure will be built over the current path of the line.


STAFF RECOMMENDATION

Town Staff has reviewed the preliminary plans and believes it has met all requirements per Town of Franklin UDO


ZONING REVIEW HISTORY

08-08-2016	Neighborhood Compatibility Meeting
08-15-2016	Special Use Permit
09-06-2016	Sept 2016 Town Board Meeting
09-15-2016	Sept 2016 Town Planning Board Meeting
10-03-2016	Oct 2016 Town Board Meeting

FINDINGS OF FACT

The planning board found that the special use permit met all requirements in the UDO. A copy of the Findings of Fact is posted below for your convenience:

In accordance with Section 153.053 (m) Findings of Fact for Special Use Review in the UDO. No special use permit shall be approved by the Board of Aldermen unless each of the following findings is made.

(a) the use or development is located, designed and proposed to be operated so as to maintain or promote the public health, safety and general welfare.

Members voted 5-0 with 2 absent.

(b) There are, or will be at the time they are required, adequate public facilities to serve the use or development as specified in §152.00, below.

Members voted 5-0 with 2 absent.

(c) The use or development complies with all required regulations and standards of this chapter or with variances thereto, if any, granted pursuant to division (8), below, and with all other applicable regulations.

Members voted 5-0 with 2 absent.

(d) The use or development is located, designed, and proposed to be operated so as to be compatible with the particular neighborhood in which it is to be located.

Members voted 5-0 with 2 absent.

(e) The use or development conforms with the general plans for the physical development of the town as embodied in this chapter, the Principles of Growth, the Thoroughfare Plan, and any other duly adopted plans of the town.

Members voted 5-0 with 2 absent.

NEXT STEP

The Town Board of Aldermen will hold a public hearing on this special use permit to hear from the public and the developer and hear the recommendation of staff and the planning board. When the date is set, Macon Media will post a notice.

MEDIA ROLL CALL

(media outlets with employees at the meeting)

Macon Media

The Macon County News and Shopping Guide

The Franklin Press

CROWD FUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at >>https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia

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Demolition of old Belden Plant Begins

The demolition of the old Belden Plant began today to make way for the new Ingles that is planned at 1281 Georgia Road. The demolition process is expected to take several weeks. 

A short time lapse of the beginning of the demolition and a few photos are posted below. Ingles Markets held a Neighborhood Compatibility Meeting with neighbors who live within 400 feet of the property. Interested members of the public attended also, and video of the meeting can be seen at this link. 

PLANNING BOARD

A discussion of the proposed plans will be held at a 4:00 pm meeting of the Town of Franklin Planning Board Meeting.

TIME LAPSE

CROWD FUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconM edia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only.
Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at >>https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia

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Ingles Markets Holds Neighborhood Compatibility Meeting in Town Hall

Preston Kendall, Project Manager at Ingles Markets, presented plans for the proposed Ingles #114 on the site of the old Belden Plant/Whistlestop Mall property. He fielded questions and received comments from the crowd of 70 some people who attended the meeting.

NEXT MEETINGS

The planned development will be discussed at the next Town Planning Board meeting at 4 pm on Monday, August 15th.

A public hearing has been tentatively scheduled for October 3, 2016 at 7pm in the town hall during the October 2016 meeting of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen. Aldermen may vote on the development after the public hearing.

Macon Media is awaiting digital copies of the plans, and as soon as they arrive, they will be added to this article.

Here are some of the details of the proposed project taken from the plans:

BUILDINGS

Existing Building is 124,984 square feet
Proposed Building is 72,128 square feet (309 ft 4 inches by 222 feet)

Proposed Retail Shop(s) 14,960 square feet
Proposed I-Market (Gas Station) 2,200 square feet

PARKING

Existing Parking Spots -- 324
Existing Parking Ratio -- 3.64 per MSF
Required parking Ratio -- 1 per 200 square feet
Required Parking -- 448
Proposed Parking -- 341
Proposed Parking Ratio -- 3.83 per MSF

Existing Site Area -- 550,016 square feet (12.63 acres)

Required Open Space -- 55,002 square feet (1.3 acres)
Proposed Open Space -- 55,015 square feet (1.3 acres)

Set Backs will be ten feet all around.

Existing Impervious -- 357,152 square feet (8.2 acres) 65% total area
Proposed Impervious -- 355,181 square feet (8.1 acres) 64% total area




Video and photos from the meeting are posted below.

CROWD FUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconM edia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only.
Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at >> https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia

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