By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
The Cabot Planning and Zoning Commission on Tues-day approved the site plan for the new Excel Ford dealership on North Rockwood Road.
Excel Ford came back to the planning commission with a revised plan on how to deal with traffic flow on North Rockwood Road entering and exiting the dealership.
Excel Ford will widen a portion of North Rockwood Road and add a center lane for left-hand turns entering the 18,050-square-foot dealership at the corner of North Rockwood Road and West Main Street/Hwy. 89.
The city could not force Crye-Leike Realtors to share its driveway with Excel Ford for access to and from Hwy. 89. Excel Ford adding its own entryway from Hwy. 89 would also be too close to Crye-Leike’s driveway and conflict with the city’s master plan that requires 245 feet of separation between driveways.
Adding sidewalks along Rockwood Road would not be compliant with the American with Disabilities Act and be impractical because the slope is a severe grade, officials say.
The sidewalk would not go out to the Hwy. 89 intersection because the state is responsible for the right of way and the requirement for a crosswalk at that intersection.
The commission voted 4-2 to approve the site with no sidewalks.
Nancy Cohea and Chuck Prater voted against it.
Dennis Hyland was absent.
Commissioner James Reid voted for the site plan to make it a majority vote.
“I want to see this property go in. I’m not crazy about it going in without sidewalks. I do agree that we’ve come a long way with the (entrance and exit) onto Rockwood. Excel Ford is a good partner within the city. It is something we really wanted to see go in there. We wanted to do it so it was a good fit for everybody involved,” Reid said.
In other business, the commission unanimously approved the site plan for David Butler to build his Edward Jones financial office building at the corner of South Pine Street and Countrywood Street.
The commission unanimously approved the rezoning of 87 S. Pine St., from R-1 residential to C-2 commercial.
