Abbi Overfelt

Staff writer

LUMBERTON — The Lumberton City Council on Monday amended the city’s land-use ordinance to confine unattended clothing donation containers to the parking lots of nonprofitsthat already accept donations of used clothing.

The bins are owned by the nonproft Planet Aid. According to the Planet Aid website, there are five bins in Lumberton, located at the 211 Citgo at 2769 N. Roberts Ave.; Starlite Food Mart, at 3102 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive; Last Stop, at 3100 Martin Luther King Drive; Sun Do Kwik Shop, at 5111 Fayetteville Road; and Agape Child Development Center, at 211 Prevatte St. The nonprofit will have 30 days to remove or relocate the containers or face a fine.

Brandon Love, the director of Planning and Neighborhood Services, said that the issue had come up during the Planning Board’s Aug. 21 meeting because of “the fact that they are unregulated, going basically anywhere and taking up parking spaces.”

Love also said that the board was concerned because the free-standing bins are not anchored and could become a hazard in the event of a storm or flood.

Lumberton is not the first municipality in Robeson County to address the Planet Aid collection bins. At an Aug. 10 meeting, the St. Pauls Board of Commissioners amended the land-use ordinance to require that Planet Aid get approval from the board before placing the bins. According to the nonprofit’s website, the six bins that were located in St. Pauls have been removed.

Also on Monday, the council adopted a resolution in support of renaming the exit 22 bridge, to be constructed at U.S. 301 as part of a new interchange at Interstate 95, in memory of slain police Officer Jeremiah Goodson. The resolution came after Lumberton resident and Fayetteville police Officer Stig Larson asked council members at their monthly Policy Committee meeting to support his efforts to name the bridge in Goodson’s honor.

Larson has started an online petition in order to show the North Carolina Department of Transportation an “overwhelming show of support” from the community. As of 9 a.m. today, the petition — at http://www.ipetitions.com/widget/view/491885 — had 508 signatures. Larson has said he hopes to get 2,000 signatures.

Also on Monday, the council:

n Approved about $9,500 in tax releases for the month of September.

n Designated $3,510 of community revitalization funds.

n Approved a rezoning request and a conditional-use permit for 2109 Griffin St. The owner of the property, Matthew Douglas Barnes, plans to construct two sets of duplexes on the property.

n Approved bids for asbestos removal at four properties for a total of about $34,000.

n Renewed a $6,200 contract with CG Automation Solutions, a company that provides technical support for software and hardware at the city’s electric substations.

n Approved an agreement with the state Department of Transportation to accept a $338,000 grant for the Lumberton Municipal Airport. The city and Robeson County will each contribute about $17,000 of the grant. The money will be used to enhance lighting at the airport.

n Designated $275,000 of the city’s Water and Sewer Fund for a sewer extension on Old Whiteville Road. The city is required to match Community Development Block Grant funds for the project.