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Board To Hear Variance Request To Turn 17-Acre Farm into Shopping Center Sept. 3

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Developers are looking to turn this property into a shopping center. Photos by Jesse Wood

By Jesse Wood

The Boone Board of Adjustment will meet on Thursday, Sept. 3, to discuss two agenda items, one of which is a variance request for a 17-acre farm in Boone that is slated to become a shopping center.

The property, located at the corner of Blowing Rock Road and Deerfield Road, is located within the town’s Watershed Protection Overlay District, and Columbia Development is seeking to build on a greater percentage of the property than is allowed within a “critical area” watershed.

Town code allows a maximum build-upon area as 24 percent and a minimum buffer of 30 feet from the top of the bank on the South Fork of the New River.

Columbia Development, based out of South Carolina, is requesting a maximum build out of 65 percent with a 100-foot vegetative buffer from the top of stream bank.

Greer Boone, LLC, owns the property, and according to a corporation search with the N.C. Department of the Secretary of State, Kimberly Henson is the registered agent.

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Conceptual plans

The property is known as the Greer/Henson Farm and has been deemed the “last farm of its kind” within the Town of Boone’s limits.

The proposed development includes 61,500 square feet of retail in the main building and two other separate shops that are 13,300 square feet and 8,7000 square feet in size. The proposal features about 375 parking spaces, and two outparcels sized 1.4 acres and 1.21 acres.

The Town of Boone is also seeking easements to route the greenway along the banks of the South Fork of the New River, which runs through the property. The developers have stated that they are willing to work with the town to ensure that the greenway is included in site plans.

The Boone Board of Adjustment was initially scheduled to hear this request in August before it was rescheduled for September.

See more on this proposal in prior story.

The other agenda item is a request from attorney Richard Mattar – on behalf of Clara H. McQueen – to recombine property located at 159 and 165 North St. in order to eliminate the street frontage requirement and to allow for required parking for a single-family dwelling to be located on a different lot with the recombination.

See agenda for meeting here.

The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3, inside the Council Chambers at 1500 Blowing Rock Road.
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