The town of Aberdeen will receive approximately $80,000 annually from rental space on its three water towers if two conditional use permits are approved for Triton PCS.

Town Manager Tony Roberston told the Aberdeen Board of Commissioners at its regular work session meeting on Thursday that Triton PCS has applied to lease space for wireless telecommunications facilities on water tanks No. 2 and No. 3. Water tank No. 2 is located on Washington Street behind the Kentucky Fried Chicken, and water tank No. 3 is located on Dawkins Street near Pinehurst Plaza shopping center.

"It’s really good for the town," said Roberston, "because all we have to do is take the check."

The town currently receives approximately $44,000 in rent from space leased out on the water towers. There will be public hearings — advertised in The Pilot — before the Board approves these conditional use requests.

In other news, Aberdeen’s Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise hopes to follow the lead of its fast-food neighbors and perform a complete reconstruction. KFC has submitted an application for a site plan review that would entail the destruction and rebuilding of its restauring on U.S. 1.

The proposed construction will involve moving the building back on its current lot to provide more space for the restaurant, as well as hooking up to a new water tie-in.

Also submitting an application for a site plan review is Providence Development, which plans to build a 270-unit apartment complex on the current site of the Carolina Mobile Home Park. Roberston said that Providence Development has not bought the property yet, but is waiting to hear the results of a public hearing before going forward with the purchase.

The board also heard a request for consideration of an amendment to the town’s driveway ordinance. Roy Harvel of Harvel Realty and Construction in Southern Pines is requesting that an exception be approved allowing tar and gravel driveways to be added to the asphalt and concrete requirement for driveway aprons.

The board will not vote on the request until their next regular meeting on Sept. 13, but Commissioner John Hawthorne did admit to reservations about granting the allowance.

"If we do it for one we’ll have to do it for everybody," said Hawthorne.

Robertson added that he hoped the board would not grant an exception.

Roberston also told the board that the health food and vitamin supplement franchise General Nutrition Center will be building a branch inside the Harris Teeter located in Center Park Plaza, and that Ruby Tuesday’s should begin construction on its new restaurant within the next 30 days. Ruby Tuesday’s will be built on the lot adjacent to Applebee’s, in front of The Inn Keeper motel on U.S. 1.

Finally, it was announced that the "kudzu" lot located between 310 and 320 N. Sandhills Blvd. has been sold to Dennis Spencer. Commissioner Pat Ann McMurray reported that Spencer plans to open a garden lighting and garden equipment retailer on the site.

"That should be a really nice business," said McMurray.