The Carroll County Industrial Development Authority rejected a site plan for a log business, but offered its owner help in drafting a plan that will be acceptable.

The Original Log Cabin Homes founder and president Tom Vesce was present at the June 4 meeting, in which he read a statement and presented his site plan for a sawn timber drying operation located on nearly 22 acres of land he owns at the Carroll County Industrial Complex.

Carroll County Attorney Jim Cornwell raised legal objections to the plan, noting places in which it didn’t meet the covenants and restrictions.

After hearing both sides and going into closed session for nearly a half hour, the IDA rejected Vesce’s submitted plan, but offered the assistance of County Administrator Gary Larrowe and his assistants, as well as the aid of Carroll County Business Development Specialist Bernie Deck, who operates out of the Crossroads Institute in Galax, where Vesce has a log home sales office.

Vesce said the additional help in revising the site plan to fit is greatly appreciated and he anticipated having an acceptable plan completed before the IDA’s next meeting, on July 6.

“I will resubmit way before time,” Vesce said. “I would like to have a preliminary review several weeks before the 6th so I am not missing anything on my site plan so I have a great chance of not being rejected again because I am missing one explanation. I have had no guidance in preparing that site plan. I did it to the best of my ability based on what I thought I needed. I wasn’t meaning not to include stuff. I didn’t know what to include.”

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In his statement to the IDA, Vesce explained how he would be using the tract of land at the Industrial Complex — that is as a site for air-drying sawn eastern white pine for use in the construction of log structures. Vesce said his company currently has a drying yard in Eastern North Carolina, but Carroll County’s natural climate is much better suited for such activities.

“Eastern North Carolina’s sea level elevation and near constant high humidity slows the natural drying of the timbers as compared to Carroll County’s high elevation and much lower humidity,” Vesce read from his statement. “Our facility in Carroll County will allow us to procure locally grown and sawn eastern white pine timber and by yarding on the mountaintop that receives almost constant wind, we achieve a near 50 percent reduction in natural air drying time over eastern North Carolina in the yarding process.”

In his statement, Vesce noted that the land has a preexisting driveway and natural landscaping which would obscure the view of the operation from the road. The only improvement he anticipated putting in was a 12x12 one-story wood-frame building to house a security camera.

Vesce said local lumber manufacturers have visited the site and are ready to work with his company.

“I’ve already had Mike Turman visit the site,” Vesce said. “I’ve also had the folks from C&B Lumber from Fries, another supplier. We’re essentially ready to go. I guess the only stipulation according to your covenants, is to put a building there.”

After Vesce concluded his remarks, Cornwell indicated that in his legal opinion, more details were needed in the site plan before it could be approved. Cornwell sited such concerns as utilities, the distance between the buildings and the road, landscaping, parking, loading facilities and that all buildings must be of masonry, concrete, approved curtain wall or pre-engineered metal.

Vesce accused Cornwell of trying to discourage him from doing business in Carroll County.

“If you read my report, the property is ready to go,” Vesce said. “That’s where we disagree. Maybe we need to take this to a higher authority, the State of Virginia Development people. The first disagreement I have here is you have a litigation attorney advising a board. As a taxpayer, I disagree with this man’s opinions to the board. This is costing us taxpayers money. I think it’s a conflict of interest for this board to have a litigation attorney providing advice that benefits by the advice he gives the board. You should have a separate attorney who does not benefit by advice and legal counsel to the board. That’s a conflict of interest where I come from, Mr. Cornwell. That’s where you and I have many disagreements.”

Cornwell responded, saying he was only expressing his opinions to the authority and ultimately, they would be the ones rendering a decision.

“My point to the authority, I’m reading from the restrictive covenants and why I believe this site plan doesn’t meet the requirements of the restrictive covenants,” Cornwell said. “It is up to the authority to determine if the site plan meets the restrictive covenants.”

Following Cornwell’s recommendations, Vesce explained his prior encounters with the attorney, which had to do with the size of the land in the Industrial Park.

“The surveyor made the mistake, we almost got into litigation with your attorney here and I came up with the idea to my attorney that we have a surveyor here that has professional liability insurance, let the insurance pay,” Vesce said. “When that issue first came up, I was really mad. When I look at a piece of property and it says the property starts there and ends there, and the contract by your previous attorney says 15 acres, plus or minus, you live with 15 acres, plus or minus. When the surveyor resurveys a few weeks before closing, and it’s 21-plus acres, you don’t send me a hostile letter from your attorney saying we’re not going to close. That will make anybody mad. There are ways to mitigate this stuff. We solved the problem but it was hostile.”

Vesce also noted that nobody prevented AmerLink from putting in a structure that might not have been in accordance with the covenants.

“AmerLink put up a wood office building,’ Vesce said. “You made a statement that all buildings have to be masonry. Why does AmerLink get away with putting a wood office building in the IDA park after you gave them $3 or 4 million worth of cash, free leases and everything else. I received nothing. I think it’s discriminatory that I have to be held to a higher standard than AmerLink.”

IDA Chairman Richard Slate then told Vesce that the authority was not consulted when AmerLink came to Carroll County.

Vesce then stated why some of the items that Cornwell listed as site plan deficiencies were not included in his submitted plan.

“This is a drop and pull facility. There are no employees based there,” Vesce said. “Mike Turman brings his truck there, unloads it and leaves and goes down the street again. There are no employees required, we don’t need any power, there’s no sawing at this property. Obviously, it’s strictly a yarding area. Drive down the street, unload the timbers. There’s no bathrooms required, no power required. I would be more than happy, if Gary gives me a questionnaire, I will answer every question.”

Vesce said he intends to work with local lumber companies and he can do so much more in the area besides sales and the drying yard operation.

“I came to Carroll County to patronize local businesses, not to compete against them,” Vesce said. “I’m a forest products company. When we spend $1 million here, practically all of that money stays here. I’m excited about being in Carroll County. I have to stand up for myself. I’m strong to my convictions. Sometimes I’m right, sometimes I’m wrong, but I’m not sheepish in what I do.

“I came here patronizing. I’m doing a lot more than this here. I’ve got a sales office at the Crossroads. I want to do more. But I’m not bound by any stipulation or condition agreement because I didn’t ask for or accept any incentive money. That’s positive. You guys recruited a business and gave him nothing, you just promoted the area.”

Slate told Vesce that he had heard enough at that point and felt the time had come for a decision. Barry Hicks then made the motion to go into closed session to discuss the matter.

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At the conclusion of the closed session, Hicks made the motion to reject the site plan, which was seconded by Roger Wilson and passed unanimously. Hicks then told Vesce that he could resubmit his plan next month and he would have access to county officials for help in drafting it.

“Mr. Vesce, we would like to add if Log Cabin Homes will submit an appropriate site plan, we would be happy to consider it,” Hicks said. “Our County Administrator and assistants will be happy to assist you with this plan. We want to work with you.”