BY DEBBIE PAGE

During the Troutman Planning and Zoning Board’s June meeting, Town Planner Andrew Ventresca asked board members to consider proposed changes to the temporary uses section of the Unified Development Ordinance, particularly those regulating produce stands, at the request of the Town Council.

The current UDO allows temporary uses for 45 days up to three times per year.

Produce stands are currently permitted for six months with no limitations on how many times the permittee can reapply. The cost is $50 for each six-month period.

The current UDO also has no requirements for site plan review or noise pollution from generators that may be utilized.

Ventresca outlined several changes that the Planning Department is requesting to the UDO. Among those are lowering the 45-day temporary use permit to 30 days and limiting the use of that permit to only two times per year rather than three.

He also requested that produce stand permits be reduced to three months at a time, with one renewal allowed per calendar year, not to exceed a total of six months per year. The permit fee would be required again for the renewal.

Any structure used by a produce stand operator would also need approval from Iredell County Building Standards prior to sales beginning. A site plan showing the location of the structure, how traffic will circulate around the area, and how parking will be organized would also be required with the application.

For temporary uses that involve generator usage, the generator must be rated at or below 65 dB at 25 feet from the source. Sound dampening enclosures can be used to meet this threshold once approved by the Planning Department. The Troutman Police Department will monitor decibel violations.

The current definition of a produce stand in the UDO does not specify any size limitations, off-street parking regulations, the types of goods available for sale, or require a site plan review from planning staff.

Drawing heavily from the N.C. General Statute definition of agricultural products, Ventresca suggested the following: a produce stand is “a temporary non-permanent structure or space used for the retail sale of agricultural products, specifically fruits, vegetables, horticultural crops, flowers, ornamental plants, and sod, that are grown or produced by the operator.”

The stand must comply with all setbacks, cannot be larger than 300 square feet, and site plan review requirements as necessary, including all street parking rules as directed in the UDO.

Ventesca also recommended removing one line under temporary use conditions that stated that the proposed use will not have “a substantial negative effect on adjoining properties” because of its subjective nature.

The board voted 4-0 to recommend the changes to the Town Council, which will make a final decision on these possible changes to these UDO ordinances during its July 10 meeting.