COURTLAND—The owners of a Courtland-area construction company will have a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, in hopes of rezoning their property for their business, said Southampton County Community Development Director Beth Lewis.

The hearing before the county Planning Commission will be held at the Southampton County Office Center in Courtland.

According to the application, Tammy and Mitchell Gray would like to rezone six acres from their 49-acre tract from agricultural to light industrial, which would allow for equipment storage, a shop and office. The property is at Sunlight and Hancock drives, next door to Hancock Peanut Co., Lewis said.

The applicants would like to build a shop and office for Gray & Sons Construction, where they could keep dump trucks and equipment.

The planning department indicated to planning commission that the location of the six acres — along Southampton Parkway’s barrier and abutting a peanut processing facility — makes it unlikely that residential development would take place there.

On the downside, vehicles used in the construction business would travel by homes to get to the property, adding to the industrial vehicles that travel to the peanut facility.

Lewis explained that a public hearing is needed to change the zoning. The Planning Commission’s vote on the request will serve as a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, who will have another public hearing before giving the final say.