Roanoke Rapids City Council will have to make a decision on a zoning map amendment related to property along Church and Carter streets, the panel’s legal counsel said following Tuesday night’s meeting.

After deferring the matter at a meeting last month, a motion Tuesday by Councilman Curtis Strickland to approve the statement of consistency for the amendment sought by Michael Carroll of Rentco Properties failed to gain a second.

Carroll is seeking to rezone residential developed property along Church and Carter streets from R-6 residential to B-3 commercial district, but has not given an intended use. He declined to comment following deliberation of the matter.

Then there was no vote on the next phase of the process, in which the council had the option to approve the request as submitted, approve a less intense commercial zoning district, or deny the request.

For the final phase of the process, Strickland made a motion to approve the request but no second was received.

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City Attorney Geoffrey Davis said following the meeting the inaction does not mean the matter is dead. “There’s no decision on it as of yet.”

City Manager Kelly Traynham said council has to formally dispose of the application request. “They have to do something.”

Said Davis: “I think that something would be either approving the request or denying it. At some point it’s going to have to have a conclusion and they don’t have to do it tonight, but at some point there needs to be some conclusion so that the petitioning property owner knows what the result is and so the interested public can have the result.”

One of the persons who spoke during a public comment section about the matter, said she preferred that no action was taken. “I don’t think I want a decision,” said Schwanda Bowser. “I think what I would really like is maybe a sit-down with the realtor and maybe Mr. Carroll to talk about what does the community really need.”

Bowser said she would have been more disappointed if the council had voted and went to a B-3. “I look at the B-3 and it’s broad. Anything could come there but my thing is with that B-3, why would you put a doctor's office there when you have empty doctor buildings that could be accommodated somewhere else? Why would you put a children’s rec room there when we already have Chaloner Recreation Center down there?”

She said the question is what do the residents of that area need. “We need housing.”

Bowser said the area is quieter than what it used to be. “I think it’s just the point that if we had people that would take care of the homes or whoever had the homes would take care of them it wouldn’t have been that bad and then, too, it’s about the people who move into the homes. Everyone doesn’t take care of everything, but the ones who really need homes are the ones that’s really lacking, like one of the young ladies who does live in the neighborhood, she’s sickly, very low income. Would she be able to move somewhere and afford a $1,500 house? No.”

Bowser said sometimes it takes discussion. She likened the matter to voting for president. “We go out and we vote for a president. We vote for who we want. You go out and you cast your vote for who you want and that’s what you get. Why can’t we do the same thing when it comes to a piece of property? Why can’t we come together and have a discussion and you take all those ideas to say how can we accommodate everybody to make everyone happy.”

Bowser presented the city clerk with a petition containing 91 signatures requesting that the property should remain the same.

Ellen Heaton, the realtor Bowser referred to, told the council during the comment section, “We’re asking for B-3 and I don’t have to tell you this but just to make it clear to everyone that’s here that means multi-family and light commercial. It’s not convenience stores or high traffic businesses. It could be office or very light business.”

Heaton said the area is close to other businesses. “There’s similar housing going across the street on Highway 158 that would fit in the neighborhood. I don’t have to tell you there’s a housing shortage in Roanoke Rapids. It’s very difficult for people that are not buying a home to find a place to live. That includes people that are already here and it also includes people that are coming in — teachers, first responders, people with the hospital — all of those people within industry trying to find a place to rent is just very difficult.”

She also mentioned Church Street’s troubled past. “I didn’t want to bring up too much negative, but between 2022 and 2023 there were almost a hundred calls to 911. These calls included larceny, breaking and entering, assault, shots fired, trespassing, vandalism, and drug dealing among others. With a facelift and an opportunity and an opportunity to give people a place to live that’s close to the hospital, close to shopping, I believe it would add to the community in a positive way, and it would also add to the tax base for the city.”

As far as the city council, there was no immediate answer on what happens next.

“I feel like we listened to the people tonight,” Councilman Rex Stainback said. “We’re still hopeful, I think as a council, we can come to a resolution.”

Councilwoman Sandra Bryant said, “I think we were listening to the response of the people. The public came to us before the council was even aware that we would be even addressing the situation. They have been very concerned from the beginning. They wanted to make sure that whatever would go there would be comfortable for those that are still living in the area. By not having any specifics, I think all of us are definitely in favor of housing, apartments, but some of the other stuff, I would not like to see it in my backyard.”