Abbi Overfelt

Staff writer

LUMBERTON — City residents will soon have a new place to eat — and a new way to get there.

On Monday, the City Council granted an annexation request for a new Bojangles on Fayetteville Road, across the street from Robeson Community College, and a certificate of convenience and necessity was granted to both T&P Taxi Service and Rise an Shine Incorporated, which want to operate taxis in the city.

Jason Andrews, president of Rise an Shine Incorporated, said the company is seeking the taxi venture from a “convenience standpoint.” He said the company has been contacted by Southeastern Regional Medical Center to provide a ride home to patients that did not have one, and that he seeks to provide transportation to those who visit local nightclubs.

“We push to provide more options for a safe way home, more options for people that do not have a license to be able to get to the store without driving without one,” he said. “Our insurance is above the standard. Our employee checks are above the standard.”

Rise an Shine, which is located outside of the city limits, has operated an auto repair shop and 24-hour towing service since 1985. According to a memo submitted to the council, the business would operate a Chevrolet Venture van 24 hours a day.

According to a document submitted to the city by T&P, the service operates mainly in the Fayetteville area, but has received numerous phone calls from residents in Lumberton, Pembroke and Whiteville asking for service. The company’s website says it will take customers up to 400 miles away in a seven-passenger Ford Windstar van.

The Bojangles would be the second location in Lumberton, with the other being on Roberts Avenue, near Biggs Park Mall.

The council was set to refer a proposed land-use ordinance amendment addressing gaming operations to the Planning Board for review, but Councilman Erich Hackney voted to table the proposal indefinitely until the council votes to bring it back. Councilman John Cantey, who seconded the motion, said that it was not clear at the time the ordinance was discussed that enacting it would allow “hundreds, if not thousands” of people to open up these establishments when the moratorium is lifted.

“To give us a better opportunity and more time to look at the ordinance our consensus was to pull it off the table to take a good look at it,” he said.

At Wednesday’s Council Policy Committee meeting, Hackney and Cantey both said they wanted to restrict the operation of gaming machines on Sundays to 1 to 6 p.m., increase the distance machines can be located from municipal buildings, day-care centers, residential areas and churches to 1,500 feet, and set the limit of the number of machines an operation can have to 20.

Also on Monday, the council:

— Set the speed limit on Dartmoor Lane and Nelson Way in the Mayfair area to 25 mph.

— Authorized staff to apply to the North Carolina Rural Center for a $450,000 building re-use grant that would assist with the upgrade of the Soldier Solution building on Starlite Drive. The building would be used for an unidentified industry that is expected to created about 120 jobs.

— Approved a language policy to ensure people with limited English skills are provided the same access to benefits and services as fluent English speakers.

— Set a public hearing for Oct. 8 to set a 30-day expiration date for conditional-use permits, which are currently attached to parcels indefinitely.

— Set a public hearing for Oct. 8 adopt a solid waste franchise agreement with Robeson County.

— Set a public hearing for Oct. 8 to amend an ordinance that would confine unattended Planet Aid clothing donation bins to businesses that already accept donations of used clothing.

— Denied a rezoning request for property located at 1570 Meadow Road.

— Extended a contract with UniFirst, a company that provides the city’s uniforms, for five years.

— Approved the Council Policy Committee and City Council meeting schedule for fiscal year 2012-2013.

— Approved about $2,400 in tax releases for the month of July.

— Approved $4,900 for three soil borings for the Tanglewood Sewer Rehab project required by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

— Authorized the purchase of the Lumberton Dye and Finishing Plant for $50,000 to acquire the right-of-way to improve drainage in the area of East Second, Willow and First streets and Town Commons. The purchase of the property will be from proceeds of a BB&T loan and includes realty fees and a tax write-off of $74,000.

— Designated $3,205 in community revitalization funds.