Union County commissioners OK rezoning for Monroe Connector/Bypass project

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The Union County Board of County Commissioners has approved the rezoning of more than 35 acres along the future path of the Monroe Connector/Bypass so that a paving company can work on the toll road project.

On Monday, commissioners approved Monroe-based Boggs Paving’s request for the property to be rezoned from agriculture to light industrial. The company, which was awarded a contract to work on the construction of the Bypass, wants to be able to go to and from its paving plant to the site of road work without having to travel on Stafford Street.

The rezoning passed by a 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Kim Rogers and Tracy Kuehler voting against the rezoning.

Union County planning staff said the property is already being used for industrial purposes by Boggs, despite that being a violation of current zoning.

County planning staff and the city of Monroe did not support the rezoning, citing concerns for the nearby watershed for Lake Twitty, the primary source of water for Monroe. County planning staff and the city said the land use plan in effect calls for low-density residential at that site.

The Union County Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of the rezoning to the county’s commissioners, saying the desires of residents are different from the land-use plan.

In October, the North Carolina Turnpike Authority said a team made of United Infrastructure Group, Boggs Paving, Anderson Columbia Co. and Rummel, Klepper & Kahl submitted the lowest bid for the toll road project in eastern Mecklenburg County. The team’s bid of $367.7 million was $97 million below an estimate of $465.2 million for the project.

The 19.7-mile Monroe Connector/Bypass toll road from U.S. Highway 74 at Interstate 485 to U.S. Highway 74 near the town of Marshville in Union County is slated to open December 2014.