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Updated: December 7, 2025 @ 2:16 pm
The Warren County Board of Commissioners, during its Monday night meeting, voted unanimously to approve a site plan for a Norlina Volunteer Fire Department Substation at 855 Oine Rd. near the intersection of Oine Road and Interstate 85.
The land, a total of 1.5 acres, will ultimately become the location of a Warren County Emergency Medical Services substation and the Norlina VFD substation.
However, two local citizens criticized how Warren County Planning, Zoning & Code Enforcement Director Mark Bloomed handled the process leading up to the board’s decision.
Agenda packet information
Warren County Planning, Zoning & Code Enforcement Director Mark Bloomer was not present at Monday’s meeting, but a copy of information he provided to county commissioners was included in the board’s agenda packet. The information indicated that the Oine Road property is zoned Agricultural Residential, but it is also in the county’s Interstate Overlay District. Bloomer stated that fire departments are permitted in the Interstate Overlay District.
He further indicated that the EMS substation will be constructed on a vacant lot located behind the lot that will be used for the fire department substation with room between the buildings to provide space for medical helicopters to land.
Bloomer’s information also stated the following:
“I recommended to the Planning Board that they approve the site plan since it meets all of the requirements of Warren County’s Zoning Ordinance. The Planning Board voted to not approve the site plan at their Special Meeting on November 17, 2025, but they did not state a reason. Some residents who live in the area of the proposed Fire Station Substation spoke at the Planning Board meeting in opposition to the location of the proposed Fire Station Substation because an elderly woman lives in front of the proposed Fire Station Substation. … There was also opposition expressed at the Special Planning Board meeting because a letter of approval from the Warren County Department of Health (Certificate of Compliance for a septic system) and the Warren County Public Utilities Department (County water system) were not supplied. Opposition was also expressed because there was no noise or odor analysis submitted. I explained at the Planning Board meeting that the letters as well as the noise and odor analysis are not needed since Fire Station Substations are a permitted use in Interstate Overlay Districts.”
Bloomer stated that he recommended that county commissioners approve the site plan because “it meets all of the requirements of Warren County’s Zoning Ordinance.”
Public comments
During the public comments portion of the meeting, two people spoke to make complaints about the handling of meetings and other matters related to the proposed site plan.
Lauren Miller, who formerly served as chair of the Planning Board, said that Bloomer had demonstrated a “pattern of disregarding policy,” saying that subdivision plats he presented to the Planning Board in the past didn’t meet all county requirements for the information that is required. She also said that a meeting of the board was canceled and later put back on the schedule.
Miller further said that the setbacks as specified in the site plan included in the meeting agenda don’t meet county requirements.
Planning Board member Barbara Espinosa said that she was upset by the information in the agenda packet that Bloomer provided for the Board of County Commissioners because it said that the Planning Board voted not to approve the site plan without giving a reason why.
“Actually, we gave several reasons,” she said.
Espinosa indicated that no decision could be made because not enough information was provided.
She also said that the site for the fire department substation is in the yard of a residence. Espinosa added that the Planning Board has had meetings that were scheduled, canceled, and another meeting being called later. She said that a meeting of the Zoning Board was called to consider the proposed site plan, but later it was learned that the meeting was not necessary.
Assistant county manager statement
When Board of County Commissioners Chairman Al Cooper introduced the matter of the site plan for commissioners to consider, a motion for approval and second came quickly.
However, Board of County Commissioners Vice Chairman Victor Hunt asked for more clarification “in light of what was said” earlier in the meeting during public comments.
Assistant County Manager Matthew Garner read a prepared statement that the county was approached by Blaine Reese (Town of Norlina director of operations) in October because grant funding set to expire in December was to be used for constructing the fire department substation.
Garner indicated that the site plan was set to go before the Warren County Planning Board in late October, but the meeting was canceled because the board thought that the matter needed to go before the Board of Adjustment. Before the meeting, staff saw that the site was located in the county’s Interstate Overlay District, where fire stations are permitted uses.
Garner further stated that the intent of the county to use the property for building a public safety facility including both the EMS and fire department substations was clear when the county purchased the land.
In response to complaints that site plan setbacks were not correct, Garner said that setbacks are measured from the property line to the side of the building.
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Planck Vision Systems manufactures thermal imaging solutions for portable inspection and 24/7 monitoring of commercial applications including