Wednesday, Jul. 14, 2010

Johnston commissioners say no to car exporter

The Johnston County Board of Commissioners said no to a car-exporting business after hearing the complaints of neighbors last week.

Romanus Ndianefo had hoped to store vehicles at 2981 Beulahtown Road, in Beulah Township near Kenly, before exporting them to other countries. The county's planning staff recommended approval of the venture, but about a half-dozen people came to the commissioners' meeting to protest the idea.

Robert Creech, of 1309 Hinnant Road, was worried that oil or gasoline from the cars could leak into the area and hurt his parent's nearby property. The area tends to flood and can be very wet, he said.

Don Boyette told commissioners that the new business could hurt his property value. "Back where I come from, in the country, it's called a junkyard," he said.

But the property's owners stressed that Boyette had the wrong impression.

"This is not at all a junkyard," said Charles Wilson. "[Ndianefo] is only hoping to use this property to buy cars, bring them in, put them in boxes and send them to other countries."

No auto-repair work or disassembly would happen at the site, Wilson said.

Rose Hammond, a real-estate agent involved with the property, said three potential buyers had tried to purchase the land before, but all the deals had fallen short.

Jason Wendell, a lawyer representing the property owners, said the export business was a good way to use a difficult bit of land. "The property is wet ... and you can't farm it," he said. "What they've come up with is a pretty ingenious way of thinking outside the box."

But other neighbors worried about increased traffic and the impact on the rural area.

Commissioner Allen Mims, who moved to deny the special-use permit, noted that county plans set the area aside for rural conservation. "I just don't think it's an appropriate use out there," he said.

Commissioners voted unanimously to deny the proposed business. The applicant, Ndianefo, later said that he would try again anywhere he found good property.