Queen Street neighborhood added to Boone conservation districts

Council requests Kellwood speed limit reduction

By Frank Ruggiero

Occupancy violations in the Queen Street neighborhood will face tighter governmental scrutiny, after the Boone Town Council added the area to its group of neighborhood conservation districts.

The council unanimously adopted a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) amendment concerning the matter at last Thursday’s regular meeting.

In November 2008, the council was presented with petitions from property owners to include the Queen Street area as a neighborhood conservation district, citing an increase in occupancy violations.

The districts affect rental properties within, requiring that all rental tenants must file a parking registration form, providing personal identification, vehicle registration and proof of residency in the neighborhood.

According to the text, tenants must permanently attach and display the parking stickers on their vehicles, and no more than two unrelated people per dwelling unit will be issued stickers.

The text says rental property owners living more than 50 miles from Boone must designate a local managing agent living in Watauga County to be responsible for the property’s occupancy matters, and owners or managing agents must notify tenants of the district requirements.

Existing neighborhood conservation districts include Blanwood Drive, Forrest Hills Drive, Grand Boulevard, Grandview Heights and Stadium Drive.

At the town’s winter quarter public hearing, residents complained of unruly tenants, namely Appalachian State University students, who committed crimes and created a nuisance for the neighborhood, fostering an unsafe environment for families and their children.

Opponents of the proposition said the measure was discriminatory against renters, not all of whom are students, who cannot afford to own a home, in that the district would single them out and create an unfair burden to those adhering to occupancy regulations, they said.

The amendment was adopted unanimously, with an effective date of March 15.

In other neighborhood matters, the council approved a request to the N.C. Department of Transportation to reduce the speed limit on Kellwood Drive from 35 to 25 mph.

Blake Brown, director of Boone Public Works and chairman of the town’s transportation committee, said 150 surveys were sent to Kellwood residents, approximately 70 of which were returned.

A majority of residents wanted the town to consider lowering the speed limit, Brown said, noting that the section of primary concern was the straightaway portion off Bamboo Road.

He said the speed limit in the adjacent neighborhood is 25 mph, meaning a reduced limit for Kellwood would be consistent with the area.

Council member Janet Pepin, noting that she lives in the Kellwood area, moved to approve the request, council member Rennie Brantz seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.