BY MILES LAYTON
Edenton Town Council addressed a lot of issues Tuesday night, including ongoing litigation involving the Confederate Memorial, that enjoyable intersection at MLK Jr. Drive and Granville and the progress of housing that’s been cited for violating city code – the type of homes that realtors sometimes describe as “needing a handyman’s touch” if that handyman was Bob Villa.
Albemarle Observer was the first news outlet – only news outlet – to report that the NC Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans has proposed a solution that may end the courtroom battles and perhaps settle once and for all where the statue is to be located.
Council unanimously approved a motion to reexamine the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and agreement to relocate the statue from South Broad Street to a site behind the Chowan County Courthouse, near the veterans’ memorial and the Chowan County Detention Center. Town Hall wants to meet with County Attorney Kevin Howard and County Attorney Lauren Arizaga-Womble to discuss the MOU and agreement with a public hearing to be scheduled.
Rather than selectively splice and edit what Mayor Hackney High said as if this news outlet was 60 Minutes, here is what the Mayor said.
“Many have learned and we certainly have learned the plaintiff’s attorney in the first monument suit is a new attorney,” he said. “It was not the original attorney that we were talking with that has given us the word that the plaintiffs will not execute the consent judgment that was subject to the Memorandum of Understanding and agreement that the town and county previously entered into. And as such, it is appropriate for us to reexamine that memorandum of understanding and agreement with the town manager.”
High continued, “And what I would like to do as mayor is send a directive to Corey Gooden as our town manager and also Hood Ellis, who’s here tonight as our town attorney, to get together with the County Manager (Kevin Howard) and the County Attorney (Lauren Arizaga-Womble) to set a new date where we can discuss the possibility of a new memorandum of understanding and agreement. I would ask that that meeting be given notice to the public and that a public hearing be held.”
See our previous story about how the SCV seeks a compromise with Town Hall to allow the statue to be moved to a place of “arguably less prominence.”
“In this proposed settlement, the Town of Edenton receives everything it wants under the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding), and the Plaintiffs agree to acquiesce to the removal of the Memorial to a position of arguably less prominence. The Plaintiffs also give up their claim for costs and attorney fees, which are significant to the Plaintiff organizations supported by member donations,” James Wilson Jr., attorney for NC Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, wrote in a letter sent to Town Attorney Hood Ellis on Saturday, Jan. 8. “We only ask for the ‘Standing’ language to be included in the Consent Judgment. There are many members and residents of the Town of Edenton and Chowan County who are against moving the Memorial from its present prominent location.”
30 Day Grace Period
In other matters, let’s talk about the intersection at MLK Jr. Avenue and North Granville Street. Longtime residents, including this editor, have, perhaps, accidentally blazed through or stopped in the middle of this intersection, forgetting that, well, you have to stop there now.
Council member Elton Bond said residents have been complaining about the change that occurred in late January.
“At Martin Luther King Drive and the traffic coming down on Granville Street never stopped, never slowed down, and they’re complaining about it.
Mayor High added, “I have seen the large majority of people on Granville Street stop, but I have seen some people just go right on through. I don’t know if that is a habit”
Council member Sambo Dixon interjected, “They stop right in the middle.”
High continued, “I’ve seen that happen twice myself. I don’t know if it’s somebody being hard headed because they don’t like it or just by force of habit they’re not paying attention to it. But Chief, if you can keep an eye on that because I have noticed it.”
Police Chief David LaFon said EPD has received 75 complaints and several warnings have been issued – there is a 30-day grace period in place.
“I told the guys to give everybody a 30 day grace period. We wrote several warnings there and folks will blow through it or stop in the middle. I mean, just all kinds of weird stuff going on.”
Council member Patrick Sellers lives in that neck of the woods.
“I live on Gale Street right around the corner from that stop sign. And it has greatly slowed down traffic in terms of speed. There’s a couple of streets that can be difficult to turn onto Granville from because of trees and issues like that. I feel much safer already because of that stop sign,” he said. “Hopefully the people of Edenton and Chowan County will get used to it. If not, the police department will have to ticket them after the grace period… I appreciate it living there; it has really slowed down much”
High added, “It has quietened the street also.”
Dixon said a resident he talks to who lives on one of the corners of the intersection is pleased with the change.
“She talks about it every morning. She has coffee and she’s so excited about it. I mean, she said this just completely changed the way people go through it. I’ve seen people run it, I’ve seen people stop in the middle, so maybe they’ll learn.”
High said there is a noticeable difference of traffic patterns at that intersection.
“I live right down the street from Councilman Sellers and I noticed the same thing that he’s noticed. Just a lot quieter and a lot slower and hopefully a lot safe. It certainly feels like it.”
Handyman Special
In other news, the council received an update from Dewayne Whealton, Assistant Town Manager/Planner, about several homes violating the Town’s housing ordinances. In January, Council gave these folks more time to repair their property – at least 90 days – and none of the places is facing demolition, for the time being, in hopes that these homes, many of them historic in nature, can be preserved.
That said, Whealton said things have been moving slowly on most of these properties, whether it is helping people connect with the means to repair their property or how Town Hall is coping with the foreclosure process.
“We’ve seen a couple move forward,” he said. “The town is trying everything in its power to help the people that have not been identified or will be identified at their next meetings in the future. We’ve had a couple of applicants come in, and town staff sat down with them to help fill out paperwork to make sure they’re able to get it turned in or get it filled out and turned in properly.”
High said though he knows of one home that’s seen progress with repairs, he asked, “how many total property owners have started making some repairs and making improvements?”
Whealton responded,”I know of one we’re trying to get, trying to identify some funding for another homeowner and some of the other ones, most of the other ones are vacant or just not concerned with making improvements.”
High ended the discussion on a strong note about the worst offenders, “We’ll just have to do what we have to do at the end of 90 days.”
In other business, council unanimously approved a Major Special Use Permit from the Chowan County ABC Board to do a minor subdivision at 516 Virginia Road, currently the location of the temporary Chowan County Courthouse. The board asked the council to split the land into two parcels, with the back parcel to be used for a warehouse plumbing company.
The second was a rezoning application requesting a portion of the property at 110 Whitemon Lane be zoned a commercial highway. The 4.5-acre property is located near US 17, in an empty field close to Feyer Ford.
The request was made by Herritese LLC, based in Kinston. According to the application, they hope to put a quick-serve restaurant and fuel station at the location.
Other items of interest:
Councilmembers Elton Bond and Craig Miller announced that they are running for re-election to council.
Council approved hiring – rehiring since they’ve conducted the annual audit for years – the accounting firm of Thompson, Price, Scott, Adams and Co. For taxpayers and fiscal conservatives who care about public spending – the audit will cost around $34,000. Unlike the federal government, Town Hall has had a clean audit for years so you probably won’t find another jewel that DOGE recently uncovered — $1.2 million worth of federal funds spent on studying the drinking and sex habits of Super Bowl watchers.
Also, council amended/extended Town Hall’s contract with the Wooten Company for wastewater sprayfield improvements – no additional costs.
And Town Hall’s customer service policy was amended instead of Tuesdays and Thursdays, service order dates will be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
During public comment, Pat Grother, a resident of the Mill Village, asked whether a future parking garage that is being considered for that big parking lot between the back of what was Mitchener’s Pharmacy and Court Street would be available for public use, not just for the workers of that IT firm that’s coming to town. Mayor High said the parking garage would be available to anyone from the public.
Grother also noted that dog owners walking their pets through Hayes are not picking up their animal’s poop. She wishes people would be more responsible. Grother makes a good point.
And Hal Murray of West Queen Street thanked two Town workers who he said deserve praise for helping with some electrical issues — more on that in another story.