>> I THINK WE ARE READY. [OVERLAPPING]. >> THERE'S NOBODY OUT IN THE PARKING. [00:00:03] IT'S 7:30. [I. CALL TO ORDER] I'M BETH LEWIS. I'M THE STAFF PERSON FOR THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS. THE FIRST MEETING OF EVERY CALENDAR YEAR, [II. ELECTIONS/APPOINTMENTS/SCHEDULE] WE HAVE TO APPOINT A NEW CHAIR, VICE-CHAIR, AND SECRETARY. I'LL TAKE NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIR. IS ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE SOMEONE? [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER]. MR. BRADSHAW NOMINATES MR. JASON. >> I'LL SECOND IT. >> MR. BURGESS SECONDS IT. ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? WE'LL CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS. ALL IN FAVOR OF MR. JASON BEING THE CHAIRMAN FOR THE 2022 YEAR? PLEASE SAY, AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL OPPOSE SAY, NO. THANK YOU. IT'S UNANIMOUS. NOW I'LL GIVE MR. JASON THE GAP. [LAUGHTER] HE CAN GET HIMSELF A VICE CHAIR. >> YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE AND THEN HOPEFULLY I'LL DO MY BEST. AT THIS POINT I WOULD NEED A VICE CHAIRMAN. I'LL OPEN THE NOMINATIONS FOR A VICE-CHAIR. I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE PERSON BEING PRESENT. I THINK THE LAST [LAUGHTER] NOMINATIONS. >> BURGESS. >> I GOT A NOMINATION FOR BURGESS. >> SECOND. >> AND A SECOND. ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? SINCE THERE'S NO OTHER NOMINATIONS, I THINK BEING IN ORDER TO VOTE FOR THE NOMINATED, ALL IN FAVOR OF BURGESS BEING A VICE CHAIRMAN, INDICATE BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL OPPOSE? THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. >> WHO IS MR. BURGESS. >> MR. BURGESS IS STANDING IN. YEAH. THE SECRETARY. >> YES. YOU CAN NOMINATE ANYONE YOU CHOOSE. [LAUGHTER] >> I KNEW THAT MS. LEWIS REMAINED THE SECRETARY. >> MS. BRIAN MOVES THAT MS. LEWIS BE THE SECRETARY. >> I'LL SECOND THAT [LAUGHTER]. >> WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? ALL IN FAVOR OF MS. LEWIS AS THE SECRETARY INDICATE BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL OPPOSE? THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE. >> AT THIS POINT WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. WE HAVE JUST ONE APPLICATION TO BE CONSIDERED. >> AFTER YOU APPROVE THE MINUTES. >> NOW, WE CAN DO THAT. THE MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 21ST OF 2020 WAS [III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] THE LAST MEETING THAT WAS HELD AND A COPY OF THE MINUTES WERE SENT OUT WITH YOUR PACKAGE. ANY COMMENTS, CORRECTIONS, ADDITIONS, DELETIONS? IF NOT ANY MOTIONS. >> I'LL MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS THEY ARE. >> SECOND MOTION. >> THERE'S BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING THE MINUTES AS WRITTEN AND SUBMITTED INDICATE BY SAYING AYE. >> AYE. >> ALL OPPOSE? THANK YOU. NOW WE HAVE A APPLICATION BY BELMONT PEANUTS, [IV. PUBLIC HEARING] BOBBY MARCH FARMS, LLC, OWNER FOR A SPECIAL EXCEPTION FOR GENERAL ADVERTISING SIGN PER SECTION 18-3725 OF THE SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY CODE, THE 100-FOOT SQUARE FOOT SIGN IS TO BE LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF SOUTHAMPTON PARKWAY, APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET EAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTHAMPTON PARKWAY 58 AND POLK STATION ROAD 609. THE PROPERTY IS KNOWN AS TAX PARCEL 58-505813 AND HAS A ZONING DESIGNATION OF A1, AGRICULTURAL AND THE AREA IS IN A CAPE AND MAGISTERIAL VOTING DISTRICTS. MS. LEWIS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE ANY DETAIL? [00:05:01] >> IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY BILLBOARDS ARE CALLED GENERAL ADVERTISING SIGNS. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. A GENERAL ADVERTISING SIGN IS A SIGN THAT ADVERTISES A BUSINESS NOT ON THE PROPERTY OF A BUSINESS, IT'S AN OFF-PREMISE SIGN. THE ZONING ORDINANCE REQUIRES THAT SHOULD SOMEONE WANT TO INSTALL AN OFF-PREMISE SIGN, THEY GET A SPECIAL EXCEPTION FROM THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS. THAT'S NOT A VARIANCE TO ANYTHING. IT IS SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS ARE THINGS THAT REQUIRE A LITTLE EXTRA LOOK. SOMETIMES THEY'RE VERY APPROPRIATE WHERE THEY'RE PLANNED AND SOMETIMES THEY TAKE A LITTLE MORE LOOKING. IN THIS CASE, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP THE MARKS WILL NEED TO GO THROUGH SHOULD THIS BE APPROVED TO GET APPROVAL FROM THIS BOARD FOR A GENERAL ADVERTISING SIGN IN THE A1 ZONING DESIGNATION. SINCE SOUTHAMPTON PARKWAY IS A US HIGHWAY, THEIR FINAL APPROVAL COMES FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. AFTER SHOULD THEY GET APPROVAL FROM THIS BODY, THEN THEY TAKE THAT APPROVAL TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE ALL OF THE ROADS IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY ARE DOT ROADS, BUT THAT 58 IS A US HIGHWAY. THAT REQUIRES AN EXTRA LEVEL OF REVIEW ON V DOTS PART AS WELL. THIS SIGN IS 100 SQUARE FEET. THEY PROVIDED A MOCK-UP OF THE SIGN. IT MAY LOOK LIKE THIS, 144 INCHES WIDE AND 96 INCHES HIGH. SIGNS ARE LIMITED IN THE COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE TO 30 FEET TALL. THAT'S FROM THE GROUND TO THE TOP OF THE HIGHEST PART OF THE SIGN. V DOT MAY HAVE MORE STRICT REQUIREMENTS. BUT EVEN IF V DOT SAID THE SIGN COULD BE 50 FEET TALL, THE COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCES GOING TO OVERRIDE THAT, WHICHEVER IS THE MOST RESTRICTIVE IS THE ONE THAT IS GROWING TO HELD SWAY HERE. SINCE IT IS NEAR AN INTERSECTION V DOT WILL ALSO LOOK AT WHAT'S CALLED THE SIGHT DISTANCE TRIANGLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SIGN IS NOT GOING TO INTERFERE WITH ANYONE DRIVING ON SOUTHAMPTON PARKWAY OR TURNING OFF OF OR ONTO POLK STATION ROAD. THE ROAD CURVES A LITTLE THERE AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS MAP. AS IT GOES TOWARD EMPORIA, THERE'S A LITTLE BEND IN THE ROAD, SO V DOT WILL DETERMINE EXACTLY WHERE THAT SIGN CAN BE LOCATED TO MAKE IT AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. THE SIGN CAN BE ELIMINATED SHOULD IT BE APPROVED ACCORDING TO COUNTY RULES? THEY CAN RUN ELECTRICITY THERE. IT CAN BE A SOLAR LIT. HOWEVER THEY LIKED TO LIGHT IT. IT CAN BE AN LED SIGN LIKE THE ONE THAT WAS RECENTLY INSTALLED ON GREG'S TRACTOR AND AT PARKERS PEANUTS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT V DOTS REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR OFF-PREMISE SIGNS, BUT THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY SHOULD THEY CHOOSE. IF YOU DRIVE ALONG SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY FROM THE GREENVILLE COUNTY LINE TO THE CITY OF FRANKLIN, THE ONLY BILLBOARDS THAT YOU SEE IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY THAT I'VE SEEN AND I'VE BEEN LOOKING VERY CLOSELY AT THE PAST MONTH OR SO, ADVERTISED BUSINESS IS ONLY IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY AND THE FRANKLIN. THERE ARE NOT SIGNS OF ADVERTISED BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOT IN THE CITY OR THE COUNTY. THERE ARE NOT VERY MANY BILLBOARDS IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, AND MOST OF THEM ADVERTISED LOCALLY GROWN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. OTHER PEANUT BUSINESSES. I THINK DAIRY QUEEN HAS A SIGN. I THINK THAT THERE'S A SIGN THERE, ON THE FRANKLIN SIDE OF FOOD LION THAT ADVERTISES A COUPLE OF BUSINESSES WITHIN THE CITY OF FRANKLIN, BUT THERE ARE VERY FEW BILLBOARDS IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY. THIS PROCESS HELPS ELIMINATE A LOT OF THAT PEOPLE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE GO UP AND PUT UP A BILLBOARD. ONCE A BILLBOARDS UP, BEAT OUT, WE'LL LET THEM CHANGE THE FACE ON IT TO KEEP IT UP TO DATE. OFTENTIMES YOU SEE BILLBOARDS THAT ARE NOT IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. THE FACE OF THE BILLBOARDS NOT VERY GOOD SHAPE OR THE PROPERTY AROUND IT ISN'T IN VERY GOOD SHAPE. IT'S NOT MODE, IT'S OVERGROWN. IN THIS CASE SINCE THE OWNER OF THE SIGN AND THE OWNER OF THE LAND ARE THE SAME PEOPLE, I WOULD EXPECT THAT BOTH THE LAND AND THE SIGN WILL BE WELL TAKEN CARE OF. THE MARKS ARE HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT REQUIRED PUBLIC NOTICES WENT OUT, I THINK 12 OR 13 NOTICES WENT OUT TO A BUDDING PROPERTY OWNERS AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW [00:10:03] AND I RECEIVED NO TELEPHONE CALLS OR COMMENTS FROM ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC PRIOR TO THE MEETING. THE REQUESTS WAS ADVERTISED IN A TIDEWATER NEWS AS WELL, TWO WEEKS AGO WEDNESDAY AND THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE THAT, AS REQUIRED BY LAW. >> BEFORE WE OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AMONG THIS BOARD? PUBLIC HEARING DENIED. I WILL ASK THAT IF YOU WANT TO COME UP AND SPEAK, PLEASE SHARE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS AND ADDRESS THIS BOARD. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. [NOISE] THANK YOU. >> BUT IF YOU'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. [INAUDIBLE] >>WELL, [LAUGHTER] WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE TO DO? I GUESS. >> THE FIRST THING I'LL DO IS THERE A DESIGNATED DIFFERENCE IN A SIGNAGE AND A BILLBOARD. ARE THEY THE SAME AS FAR AS SIZE AND SEEING SO MANY BILLBOARDS ON HIGHWAYS THAT ARE HUGE AND THIS IS NOT A HUGE. >> SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY ZONING ORDINANCE CALLS A BILLBOARD A GENERAL ADVERTISING SIGN,. >> THEY'RE ONE AND THE SAME. >> THEY'RE ONE AND THE SAME. THE ZONING ORDINANCE IS WHAT DETERMINES HOW LARGE THE SIGN CAN BE IN SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY ORDINANCE LIMITED TO 100 SQUARE FEET. >> WELL, I KNOW SOME DON'T, MY NAME IS BOBBY MARK, I LIVE IN CAPRON AREA. MY WIFE AND I AND MY CHILDREN OWN BELMONT PEANUTS AND THE DELI AND WE EMPLOY 50ISH PEOPLE, SOMEWHERE AROUND 50 BETWEEN THE PEANUT OPERATION AND THE DELI. WE DON'T HAVE ANY SIGNAGE ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTY OTHER THAN RIGHT AT THE OPERATION. WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND IN TRAFFIC, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE DO OWN A SMALL FIELD THAT'S 2.5 ACRES ON THE SIDE OF SIDE OF 58 RIGHT AT THE SECTION AND HIGHWAY 58. THE SIGH GOING TO TO BE RIGHT UP AGAINST THE WOODS, SO IT'LL BE JUST FAR ENOUGH FROM THE EDGE OF THE WOODS SO WE COULDN'T MAINTAIN IT AND KEEP GRASS CUTTING AND ALL. BUT IT WON'T BE INTERFERING WITH ANY NO MORE SO THAN THE TREES WITHIN A TRAFFIC. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT AND WILL STAY WITHIN THE LIMITS WHICH IS 10 BY 100 SQUARE FOOT. THE SIGN PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOMEWHERE AROUND EIGHT BY 12, SOMETHING IN THAT AREA. >> ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. MARKS? >> MR. CHAIRMAN, I HAVE ONE QUESTION. AM MR. MORRIS, BOBBY ARE YOU GOING TO LIGHT IT? >> WE'RE NOT OPEN AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK. >> OKAY. >> WE'LL REALLY NOT NECESSARY, THAT WE COULD PUT A LIGHT IT WITH SOME SOLAR. AM NOT PLANNING ON PUTTING IN ELECTRICAL ALL THE WAY AROUND WITH THE SOLAR LIGHT, IF WE DO. BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT PLANNING ON. >>ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? I BET THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS APPLICATION. IF NOT, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING [BACKGROUND]. >> THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS IT IS PERMITTED BY STATE LAW. I'VE LOOKED AT THIS AT OUR LAST PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING TO A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION MADE A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL. THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS IS A LOCAL FAMILY BUSINESS AND THERE ARE LIMITED BILLBOARDS AND THEY RECOMMEND THAT YOU APPROVE THAT REQUEST. [00:15:08] >> APPROVE. >> THAT EMOTION IS RIGHT THAT'S ALL. WE HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THIS APPLICATION. IS THERE A SECOND? >> I'LL SECOND. >>THE MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING THE APPLICATION? A MOTION? IF NONE ALL IN FAVOR OF ACCEPTING AN APPROVING THIS APPLICATION BY BELMONT PEANUT INDICATE BY SAYING I. >> I >> IT IS APPROVED. CONGRATULATIONS. [BACKGROUND]. ANY OTHER BUSINESS. I KNOW THAT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA, BUT I GUESS ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT GARDEN [INAUDIBLE]. >> IT'S BEEN GREAT. >> 12 MONTHS OR RATHER. IF THERE'S NO OTHER BUSINESS. I GET A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT. >>I SO MOVED. >> ALL IN FAVOR INDICATE BY STANDING UP [LAUGHTER]. >>THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING [BACKGROUND]. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.