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Sylva leaders OK parking, sign variances for Lowe’s
By Lynn Hotaling
Developers of the new Lowe’s across the highway from Smoky Mountain High School secured two variances last week (Oct. 6) that will let construction on the store proceed as planned.
Sylva board members unanimously granted both of Jemsite Development’s requested deviations from the town’s zoning ordinance after a public hearing prior to their regular meetings.
Students at Smoky Mountain High School, lower left, have a bird’s-eye view of ongoing earth-moving activity at the Lowe’s site across N.C. 107. The new store moved a step closer to reality last Thursday (Oct. 6) when Sylva officials granted developers two variances – one that decreases the required parking spaces and one that allows a bigger sign. Located near the N.C. 107/N.C. 116 intersection, the Sylva Lowe’s is expected to open in about six months, according to Sylva Planning Director Jim Aust. – Herald photo by Nick Breedlove
Sylva Planning Director Jim Aust outlined the developers’ requests for town board members.
Along with Land Planning Associates of Easley, S.C., Jemsite of Jefferson sought permisson to decrease the number of parking spaces from the 501 required by Sylva to 404, and to increase the sign square footage from the maximum of 48 square feet allowed by Sylva to 349 square feet.
Aust recommended that town officials allow both deviations from Sylva’s code. Lowe’s has done studies that indicate 404 parking spaces will be adequate for a store of the size planned for Sylva, he said. In addition, it is not possible to site 501 spaces on the property due to required setbacks from the stream that separates the Lowe’s site from the State Employees Credit Union and landscape setbacks required by Sylva.
“Lowe’s has done a number of these stores, and, as far as parking, this is typical for Lowe’s in this region,” said Patrick Rivers of Land Planning.
With regard to the sign, Aust said that a store of Lowe’s projected size is allowed to have total signage of 1,030 square feet, but the maximum permitted for a single sign is only 48 square feet. The request was for town officials to allow Lowe’s to incorporate only one sign – consisting of letters spelling “Lowe’s” attached to the front of the building – that totals 349 square feet, Aust said.
Rivers had prepared drawings to show board members how out of proportion a 48-square-foot sign would look on a 600-foot-long building.
“I don’t think we’re asking for anything that would make the store look out of place in Sylva,” he said.
Sylva board member Eldridge Painter sought Aust’s views with regard to the sign variance.
“What is your real opinion of this whole thing?” Painter asked the planning director. “I know we’ve had problems with signage. I’m OK with it, as long as everyone’s treated the same.”
According to Aust, Sylva leaders didn’t really think about large-scale development when the zoning ordinance was approved in 1998.
“Limiting a 600-foot-long building to a 48-square-foot sign doesn’t make sense,” Aust said. “Maybe we need to review and rethink (our rules) for large-scale development.”
Aust pointed out to board members that the sign ordinance had already been amended to accommodate shopping centers and allow stores in them to have proportional signs.
No one except developers and town personnel spoke during the variance hearing, but two people addressed Sylva officials during the public comment segment of the town board’s regular meeting.
Susan Leveille, a Webster resident and member of that town’s plannning board, told Sylva leaders of her concerns with regard to the added traffic Lowe’s is likely to bring to N.C. 116, which connects N.C. 107 and U.S. 441.
Leveille also asked Sylva officials to take the initiative with regard to traffic congestion on N.C. 107.
“I wish Sylva, Webster, the Department of Transportation, Lowe’s and Ingles could all get together and do some creative thinking about traffic in that area,” she said. “I’d like to challenge Sylva to get together with the other parties to see that we have as safe traffic as we possibly can. Who would be better than Sylva to initiate that?”
Oliver pointed out that county commissioners had already appointed a task force for that purpose.
Roger Turner of Dillsboro told Sylva board members that a single superstore like Lowe’s can generate up to 20,000 trips per day and asked them to place additional restrictions on Lowe’s site plan.
“I implore Sylva leaders to exercise their authority,” he said, recommending that town leaders incorporate some of the ideas expressed in Reuben Moore’s March letter that appeared in The Sylva Herald.
“Those were excellent ideas,” Turner said.
(Moore’s March 31 letter envisioned the new Lowe’s as an “Eckerd’s with windows,” a building with an attractive appearance that could be moved closer to the highway so parking would be in the rear, and suggested trees and wide sidewalks as well as a sandwich shop on the site. He also recommended Lowe’s provide living space for employees on the store site or on property adjacent to it.)
The Sylva Lowe’s is expected to open in April or May, Aust said.
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