The city council voted unanimously last week to deny a conditional rezoning request in the neighborhood along Louise Avenue. The application to rezone, filed by L. V. Jones, the owner of Vee’s House of Hair, would have converted .36 acres of land from a residential-10 district to a neighborhood business conditional district. Currently situated on that property is Liberty Baptist Church which had been allowing Jones to operate her hair salon prior to any rezoning paperwork being filed. Jones claimed ignorance of the rezoning process and had ceased all business upon discovering the property wasn’t properly zoned. She then went through the proper channels to have her zoning application heard before the city council. Vee’s House of Hair employs three licensed hair stylists that are now not able to work as they lack a location in which to conduct business. A number of representatives from both the hair salon and residents of the neighborhood with the property in question were present at the city council meeting to vocalize their positions. Those in favor of the rezoning were mostly clients or employees of the salon; additionally, the pastor of Liberty Baptist Church spoke in favor of the salon and the character of the women who own and operate it. Present to speak against the rezoning were residents of the Louise Avenue community who were concerned about opening the door to more businesses and keeping the area a “family-focused environment”. Another worry voiced was the increased traffic the business would cause in the neighborhood. The planning board had unanimously voted to recommend the council against the rezoning, expressing that the action would not be consistent with the Lincolnton Land Use Plan and it “Introduces a commercial use that does not align with the established zoning protections for residential areas.” After some hesitation, the City Council voted to deny the rezoning request.