ROCKY MOUNT — The Rocky Mount Town Council is requesting that Franklin County pursue a text amendment to the current town code in converting the former Mod-U-Kraf building into a new career and technical education center for students.
Council members voted unanimously to approve moving forward with a text amendment with the county to allow for a CTE center to operate at Rocky Mount’s industrial park. Mayor Holland Perdue requested town staff to draft a text amendment last month to be voted on at Tuesday’s meeting.
There was no discussion by council members Tuesday before the proposal was voted on and approved.
The property, purchased by Franklin County in May for $5 million, is currently not zoned to allow for a school. Negotiations are currently ongoing between the town and county to allow for the CTE center, which have become strained in recent weeks as the town has questioned if the county will provide funding for any necessary road improvements or increased security around the former Mod-U-Kraf property to allow for the school.
People are also reading…
-
7 questions with the first Roanoke Times high school football player of the week
-
16-year-old Roanoke boy gets 25 years for murdering classmate Isaac Cunningham
-
Salem school board member Sizemore charged with DWI after crash
A new public safety headquarters and a 911 dispatch center for the county is also proposed for the property. Office space would be used for public safety and 911 dispatch while the factory building would be used for the CTE center, based on current proposals.
Local officials tour the Mod-U-Kraf building during a CTE summit held in July.
Photo courtesy of Robert Wood
Franklin County originally requested a rezone of the property from M1 Industrial to C2 Commercial Office General to allow for the career and technical education center. That proposal was recommended by the Rocky Mount Planning Commission in August.
Proposals are usually voted on by the town council after the planning commission votes for or against a recommendation. The rezone was not on Tuesday’s agenda and Perdue said it is currently not scheduled.
Perdue has said he would like the county to move forward with the text amendment instead of the rezone since it provides Rocky Mount with more safeguards moving forward. If road or security upgrades are necessary, he said a text amendment would assure that those additional costs would be taken on by the county instead of being put on the town.
Perdue said after Tuesday’s town council meeting that he is working with Franklin County staff with plans of moving forward with the text amendment. A meeting with county and town officials on Aug. 21 discussed plans to move the project forward.
“Based on our conversations, this is an option that works for both sides,” Perdue said of moving forward with the text amendment.