Goldsboro · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Goldsboro public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
McLain Street/Hwy 70 Annexation and Rezone
A pair of linked hearings: bringing land near the Park East Industrial Park into the city and rezoning it. Growth here could shape development along the Highway 70 corridor.
Central Gardens Phase 2 Annexation
The city annexed 51 acres of its own vacant wooded land on Royall Avenue — a "donut hole" inside the city limits — so services and boundaries are clear. No residents are affected since the city owns the land.
Summit Road Conditional Zoning (CZ-04-26)
Generation Village seeks to rezone its Summit Road property to residential — the change would affect what can be built between Ridgecrest Drive and North Oak Forest Road.
Tommy's Road Conditional Zoning (CZ-03-26)
Brock Works LLC wants to change its Tommy's Road property from residential to Highway Business conditional zoning — neighbors may weigh in on what commercial uses could arrive.
Unified development ordinance update
A new state law forces Goldsboro to delete all minimum parking requirements from its development code by January 1, 2027 — council members protested but had no legal choice.
Proposed Census Residency Changes and Military Undercount
A proposed rule change would count service members at their tax-filing residence, not where they live — potentially costing Goldsboro population and funding tied to Seymour Johnson AFB. A resolution may come next meeting.
Public Records
Goldsboro rolled out a new online portal that makes requesting city records much faster and less painful. No more wrestling with old-school bureaucracy just to get public documents.
Corner Pocket pool hall special use permit
A new alcohol-free pool hall and gathering spot is coming to East Elm and South Berkeley, run by a couple with 20 years of restaurant experience. It passed all four quasi-judicial tests unanimously.
Recovery Month and community outreach (CCRD)
The Commission for Community Relations and Development is holding its first recovery month celebration Saturday at the Hub and asked the council to keep honoring its funding commitments for gun violence prevention, roundtables and the MLK luncheon.
The HUB Designated a City Park
The James & Pine Black Business District memorial parklet and the West Oak Pocket Park became official city parks, with the parks department taking on maintenance at about $1,300 and $2,500 a year respectively. Council made sure long-term upkeep is budgeted, not just the ribbon cutting.
Downtown nightlife rules loosened
Council raised the bar/nightclub cap to three per downtown block face, scrapped cross-street distance measurements, and kept only a shared-wall ban next to churches and schools — aiming to fill vacant storefronts.
Citywide noise ordinance rewrite
The draft noise ordinance sets a 7 p.m. cutoff for musical rehearsals, which would squeeze the Funk Nation youth drum line whose students don't get home from school until 5:30. Council leaned toward 8 p.m. or 8:30 p.m., finding an indoor space at Edgewood, or granting a city authorization — and stressed the ordinance is citywide, not just about the drum line.
Animal Ordinance Modernization
Chapter 91 gets its first real update since the '60s and '70s — clearer rules on animal pens, breeding, nuisances, and rabies, aligned with state law. It should speed up cases that have dragged 18-24 months.
Coronavirus relief fund reallocation decision
The city may extend its COVID funds up to a year (~$300,000), reopening the question of courts versus ballfield lighting; council wants it on next month's agenda after consulting tourism.
Improper Demolition
Goldsboro city leaders are cracking down after a building was illegally torn down without proper permits. Expect new code enforcement rules and policy updates to stop property owners from skipping the legal demolition process in the future.
Investing Idle City Cash for Higher Returns
Council hired Valley View Consulting to help manage the city's cash and investments, aiming to boost interest income by hundreds of thousands of dollars a year at a fee of roughly $40,000.
Transit Bus Replacement Funding
Council kicked in $75,000 from fund balance to cover taxes and fees on eight new federally funded buses that exclusively serve Goldsboro's five bus routes — plus a new $35 monthly pass pilot.
EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant
The city's $500K EPA brownfield grant has completed seven Phase I environmental assessments; four sites — including a former dry cleaner and the city-owned former cottonseed oil plant — are recommended for Phase II testing to prepare them for redevelopment.
Future Fire Station Locations
A consultant analysis found Goldsboro's fire stations are well-placed today, but recommends relocating Stations 1 and 3 slightly, and identifying six future station areas as the city grows — with property acquisition built into capital planning.
Floodplain development and FEMA buyout lots
About a third of the city sits in a floodplain. Council debated whether to allow elevated building (like at the coast) to reclaim land, and criticized scattered FEMA buyout lots that can never be redeveloped. The upcoming UDO rewrite will set those rules.
Cell Phone Stipends and Device Inventory
The city spends roughly $85,000 a year on cell phone stipends and pays for 259 city-issued devices. Some Verizon usage data looks wrong, so staff will fix the report and draft a formal allowances policy for council action later this year.
Downtown Master Plan and MSD Reinstatement
The budget reinstates the downtown municipal service district tax rate at .235 to fund downtown improvements, and one council member proposed shifting $70,000 of the downtown master plan cost to a grant, the MSD fund, or the DGDC nonprofit — sparking debate over who should pay for a plan that benefits the whole county.
Veteran Homelessness and Stand Down Event
VA caseworkers and New Hope Community Center pitched a July 15 Veterans Stand Down — a one-stop event where homeless veterans can get housing vouchers, healthcare enrollment, and community resources. The council waived fees, closed the street, and unanimously backed it.
Nursing Education Funding Classification
A resident urged the council to advocate against a proposed federal rule that would exclude nursing from the "professional degree" definition, limiting student loans for advanced nursing programs — a concern for rural care access and Wayne Community College.
Truck Traffic in District One Neighborhood
Councilmember Jones reported that oversized trucks are still cutting through the North End neighborhood on Neil and Alabama toward Highway 117 despite earlier discussions, endangering an area with a park and children.
Public Safety Building Conditions
The public safety building has settlement, humidity, and failing bathrooms. A $998,450 short-term fix was approved to make conditions livable for officers until a new facility is built in three to five years.